Carnival far from over for determined mare

Kevin Hughes
Kevin Hughes
Grit, determination and tender loving care were behind Carnival's win in the group 3 Stewards Handicap at Riccarton yesterday.

The progressive Kevin and Pam Hughes-trained mare won the sprinting feature with a most determined finish to overhaul leader Passing Shot in the late stages of the time-honoured 1200m event.

While on the track she is as gritty and strong-willed as any horse racing at New Zealand Cup week, away from the races she is as quiet as a lamb, Kevin Hughes said.

''That is just her, yet she walks around like a kid's pony.

''But in her work she will just go with the fastest thing going. She won't lay down''

So determined is the mare, raced by prominent owners Don and Dame Wendy Pye, that even in the very early stages of the career she was used as a trackwork mate for the Hughes stable's recently retired top-class sprinter Maybe Miami.

As contrasting as Carnival's behaviour is on and off the track, so too are her legs.

Carnival relishes hard racing surfaces but, at the same time, Hughes has to wrap the horse in cotton wool to avoid soreness issues that plagued her dam, the St Petersburg mare Sinalot.

''I have always been careful with her because Wendy said they had problems with her legs, so I have always tried to keep her off her legs,'' he said.

''So with her, I have always had her wrapped up.''

Carnival faced a decent step up in class in yesterday's race from her previous racing, but handled it with ease.

Hughes is now eyeing up the ultimate step up in class for the horse's next long-term goal.

Carinival will be aimed at one of New Zealand's premier sprints, the Telegraph, at Trentham in late January, Hughes said.

Earlier on yesterday's Riccarton programme, consistent mare Heni was a brilliant winner of the group 2 Canterbury Breeders' Stakes.

Jockey Rosie Myers gave the Mike Breslin-trained mare a perfect run in the one-one before she let down explosively to claim the 1400m fillies and mares' feature.

''We got a pretty good trip in transit, she jumped good, put herself in the race and was strong to the line,'' Myers said.

Heni was a brave third in last year's race behind the ill-fated First Serve.

Yesterday's victory added to the horse's brilliant record on the Riccarton track, which now stands at 12 starts for five wins and five placings.

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