Three-year-old filly Lenize has a large group of owners, but no one was more thrilled than Palmerston North-based Marian McMurry when watching her win on debut at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday night.
“It was a good win,” trainer Arna Donnelly said. “Lenize is owned by Kevin and Dianne Madgwick, but we have got a big syndicate of people in her.
“One of the syndicate members, Marian McMurray, was there on Thursday night with her son, Shaun, who had throat cancer. They got a real kick out of it, so that was really cool.
“She used to own The Gateway Motel where we all used to stay, but she just sold that.
“She has been through a rough patch, so it was pretty cool to take the horse down there so she didn’t have to travel and she could watch her go.”
Donnelly was pleased with the daughter of Bettor’s Delight heading into Thursday, with the filly placing in her two workouts earlier this month.
“She has been trialling up quite nice, I have got a bit if time for her,” Donnelly said.
“She doesn’t do anything extra that she doesn’t have to in her trials and work, and probably showed that on Thursday night as well.
“She is that laid back she won’t get out of her own way, but when they come at her and she gets going she is not the worst. Hopefully the penny will drop soon and she will be away.
“She is very well bred and her Mum was a really lovely horse, so fingers-crossed she can be as good as her.”
Her Dam, Suidelike Meisie, was trained at Cambridge Raceway by Mike Berger and went on to win eight races before retiring to the broodmare paddock.
While Donnelly is looking forward to Lenize’s future, she is also looking forward to the return of Listed Sires’ Stakes Sophomore Classic (1980m) placegetter Double Rocket.
The four-year-old entire has won two of his last three starts, finishing runner-up last start, and Donnelly has some big targets in-mind in the coming months.
“Double Rocket has just had 10 days off and he is back in work now,” she said. “We are aiming him for the Messenger (Gr.1, 2700m) and Taylor Mile (Gr.1, 1609m).” – Cambridge Raceway
