For some owners, the Harness Jewels are a chance for a quick return on their equine investments, but that is not the case for Dunedin's Tom Richardson.
Richardson and wife Loretta race Lady Chatto, who confirmed her place in the $150,000 2yr-old fillies Jewels final by finishing seventh on the order of entry.
``It is a big thrill, a huge thrill,'' he said.
While many of the Tim Butt-trained filly's opponents have been purchased from yearling sales from 2015, Richardson has been waiting 41 years for Lady Chatto to come along.
That is how long he has worked to develop the line of genetics that has produced the classy filly.
Lady Chatto's pedigree traces back to Cheer Leader, the first mare from whom Richardson bred in 1977.
He went on breed eight foals from her - the seventh, Cademic, is the great-granddam of Lady Chatto.
Although Richardson did not get his hands on Cheer Leader's half-sister Frosty Vision, he knew there was class in his side of the family when she produced classy Southland pacer of the mid-1980s Honkin Vision.
The Dunedin businessman has plenty of foals and winners from the progeny that trace back to Cheer Leader over four decades, but he is starting to think Lady Chatto could be the best of them.
``In terms of sheer class, she is a very talented filly and very strong.''
A win in the Harness Jewels would confirm that and Lady Chatto took her most recent step towards that goal with a trial win at Addington yesterday.
The 3yr-old held out Jewels rival Angel Of Harlem by a nose in registering a 2.25.1 time for her 1950m run.
The trial was another conditioning run to get Lady Chatto back to her best following her fall in a group 3 race at Menangle in early April.
After winning her debut at group 3 level at Addington in March, she was sent to Australia, where she won a heat and finished second in the final of the Bathurst Gold Tiara series.
In her next start, things went pear-shaped when she pulled fiercely and broke, before hitting the deck on the infield at Menangle.
Her recovery from that incident put the horse out of action which cost her crucial fitness going into her latest start for fourth in the Caduceus Club 2yo Fillies' Classic at Alexandra Park.
``We were not quite at our peak for that.
``After the fall in Australia she missed quite a bit [of training].''
After another spell after that race, the filly was back in action and pleasing her trainer with her work, Richardson said.
However, Butt and Richardson will be even happier if Lady Chatto can draw a front-line barrier in the Jewels, where she can use her potent gate speed.
``She is very good off the gate. She has never been beaten off the gate from the front line.''
Lady Chatto's placement in a Canterbury stable, rather than in Otago, came from a longtime connection of Richardson's wife.
``The association came through my wife, Loretta, who is a Cantabrian and an old friend of Jenny Butt's - Tim's mother.''
Richardson had previously had his horses trained at Ocean View by Stu Campbell, who stepped out of horse training.
Campbell prepared Lady Chatto's dam Lady Lozza for her two wins.
