Talented mare Suavito returned from a lengthy lay-off with an outstanding victory in the 2016 Ladbrokes Orr Stakes at Caulfield this afternoon.
Suavito scores a first up win in the C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Suavito took out both the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) during her autumn preparation last year, but she missed the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival after having bone chips removed from her knee.
Jockey Luke Currie gave Suavito the perfect run in transit, while Turn Me Loose took up the running in the early stages of the race, and he produced the daughter of Thorn Park at the perfect time to guide her to a second Group 1 victory in the Ladbrokes Orr Stakes.
Currie only scored the ride on Suavito in the Ladbrokes Orr Stakes after Damien Oliver elected to jump off the mare and he was clearly delighted to have won his first Group 1 event since Roman Arch took out the 2003 edition of the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m).
“How good was that,” Currie said.
“It has been a long time coming and it has been a long time since the last one.
“There was a good speed and we just held our spot three pairs back and she always travelled like she was going to be there somewhere.
“She just needed a bit of luck and I had to shove through a bit on the corner, but when I got through she was really strong to the line.
“You only have to go through her form to see that every time she has gone out she has been competitive in whatever races he has put her in.”
Blackiston elected to give Suavito a lengthy stint in the spelling paddock instead of bringing her back for a late Spring Racing Carnival campaign and his patience with his star mare paid off with a Ladbrokes Orr Stakes victory.
The in-form trainer believes that Suavito will take plenty of improvement from her first-up win and he said that the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m), Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1600m) are all on the agenda for the talented mare.
“When we drew barrier one I was really confident that she would get a nice run early and she is just so tough and strong this mare,” Blackiston said.
“She was really wound up, but it would have been more of an adrenaline buzz today and in the mounting yard she got right on top of her toes.
“I hadn’t wound her up because hopefully we have a long campaign heading towards Sydney and she had ten months off, so we had to take her along slowly.
“I could see in her development that she just got so much stronger.
“She loves it here, so I think that we should come back here and run in the Futurity Stakes and then we will make a decision whether we go up to 2000 for the Australian Cup or we go to Sydney for the Coolmore or the other races around.”
Lucky Hussler was one of several hard luck stories in the race and he savaged the line in the final 50 metres to finish second, while Hucklebuck returned to his best form to finish third.
