Winton trainer Chelsea Faithful freely admits she got a bit of a helping hand this week to prep Ideal BB for her second win at Ascot Park today.
Faithful has been in Christchurch all week supervising her two runners at Addington.
“I’ve got to thank my Mum and Jamie Campbell. Jamie hoppled Ideal BB once and galloped Tartan Trilogy in front of her. They’ve followed my instructions (laughter),” she said after the American Ideal mare’s impressive win.
“She’s quite a nice mare that seems to be getting better with each run. It’s great for the owners (Onn and Raewyn Chin) who have been great supporters of me.”
In today’s junior drivers event Sarah O’Reilly settled Ideal BB just beyond midfield. At the 800, O’Reilly had Ideal BB three back on the outside running line with the leaders running a strong clip. As the leaders started to struggle O’Reilly’s decision to move the mare forward was a master stroke.
“I was surprised. I was thinking she was going a long way from home but Sarah’s drive was a ten out of ten.”
At the 400 metres Ideal BB had taken the lead but was three wide. On straightening she stretched out like a good horse beating Onedin Hurricane by two and a quarter lengths, running the 2200 metres in a respectable 2-43.7.
“I think she’ll be better for that run. She definitely didn’t blow as much after today’s run compared to her first win which means she’s getting fitter. She should improve naturally with some racing.”
Ideal BB is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Tartan BB which is out of the thirteen win Holmes Hanover mare Tartan Lady.
The following is part of an article which Southland journalist Mac Henry wrote in December 2010, explaining how Tartan BB was named.
Shortly after producing Tartan B B, Tartan Lady’s health began to deteriorate and within a few weeks she was sent to the Southern Vet Centre in Invercargill and attended to by veterinarian Brendon Bell. Dr Chin, a retired GP of Mosgiel, said Bell scanned Tartan Lady and found a massive hernia.
“I have checked and there has only ever been one survivor (from the operation) and that was at a top American equine university,” he said at the time.
Fellow veterinarian Mike Brown described the problem as a hernia of the diaphragm and confirmed at the time that the operation conducted by Bell had never previously been done successfully in New Zealand.
Three years on and Dr Chin is still full of praise for the locally-born Bell who joined the Southern Vet Centre from Auckland, having returned there from Illinois University where he worked under Dr Gordon Baker.
“He did a fantastic job, Tartan Lady stopped breathing a couple of times, I wanted to name the foal Tartan Bell after Brendon but couldn’t get it so settled for Tartan B B,” he said.
Back to the present day, Faithful has been away in Christchurch in the past week, supervising Pay Me Speedy and Tartan Roxy both of whom started at Addington.
“I was happy with her (Pay Me Speedy) run on the first night. She did quite a bit of work. She was three wide for the whole last lap and maybe that took a wee bit out of her. She can have a break now and come back as a five year old. The trip away did her the world of good. She’s not getting to the races and shocking and carrying on.
by Bruce Stewart