Trish Dunell
Regally-bred mare Rise To Success secured her first victory in more than two years in the Hanley Formula Junior Drivers Handicap Trot (2700m) at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night, but it has been a little bit longer for her trainer Warren Rich.
It was his first training win since 2007 and the Hamilton conditioner, who quinellaed the 2002 Gr.1 New Zealand Cup (3200m) with Gracious Knight and Facta Non Verba when he trained in partnership with Mike Berger, said the win was very satisfying.
“I didn’t realise it had been that long (between wins), but mind you I haven’t had many races since then, but I was really happy with the win,” Rich said.
The six-year-old mare had an economical run, having sat in trail throughout behind fellow front-marker Prince George before she took advantage of the passing lane to win comfortably by nearly two lengths over Il Pirata.
“We were happy with her run,” Rich said. “She had every chance and they didn’t go that quick, which brought the back-markers into it, but we were happy enough.”
Rise To Success returned to the track this season after a two year absence through injury and the patience shown by Rich, who also owns the mare, was rewarded on Thursday.
Rich purchased Rise To Success as a yearling for $14,000 and said his association with her family, particularly her dam - Listed 2YO Ruby (1609m) winner Petite Sunrise, was the major driving factor behind his decision to acquire her.
“I trained her mother and I trained a few sisters to the mother, so I knew the family quite well,” he said.
“She was the first filly Frank (Weaver) had put in the sales, so I thought I better grab her because she might have been the only one he would offer.”
Rich, who works for dual-code trainer Graeme Rogerson, said Rise To Success is the only horse that he has in work and he will be sticking close to his Hamilton base with the daughter of Great Success.
“I’ve got just the one in work,” he said. “I work at Graeme Rogerson’s where we start at 4.15am and help work about 100 gallopers and then at about 8am I head over and start on the trotters.
“She’s a handy wee horse, but she’s no superstar. She’ll be lining up at Cambridge as much as we can because she can only go left-handed.” – Cambridge Raceway
