Hastings trainer John Bary’s alternative option with Lady Zafira worked out perfectly on Saturday when the mare dashed home to win the $50,000 Pegasus Stakes.
The group 3 Canterbury Breeders Stakes at Riccarton on Wednesday was the initial plan for Bary and the Lady Zafira Syndicate until she was a late scratching at the gates at Ashburton on October 15.
"She was in the gates and one beside her went off a bit," he said.
"She reared over, smashed two teeth out. So we were lucky that the vet here [Kendra McLeod] did some acupuncture and physio and got her back on track.
"She galloped really well on Tuesday by all accounts and the rest is history."
Missing the Ashburton run meant the Iffraaj mare had not been seen at a race meeting since mid-September, so she came into Saturday’s 1000m dash in a fresh state.
"It’s not ideal but it makes us look like masters now, doesn’t it?" Bary chuckled.
The 6yr-old has added black-type print to her pedigree page in the past, but Saturday’s was her first win at group or listed level.
"She ran third in the weight-for age at Rotorua a couple or three starts back on an off track. She’s always had the ability. She had a bone chip after her first start and we got that out and she’s always been honest."
The group 1 Telegraph at Trentham in January is a potential target for Lady Zafira.
"She’s very adept — she’s won over a mile, and she’s won over 1000m. Now she’s got the all-important black-type race under her belt, too."
Nymph Monte had already gained black type with his listed Spring Classic win at Riccarton last month, but added another with his easy victory in Saturday’s listed Metropolitan.
The Grant Nicholson-trained 5yr-old shortened to $2.60 for this Saturday’s New Zealand Cup after he gobbled up the 2500m race with gusto.
"I just like the way he had to work a little bit early," Nicholson said.
"We decided to go forward because we didn’t think there was any pace in the race and he’s just jogged to them and done the job."
