Owners’ patience rewarded
The patience of the ownership group was rewarded when Kensal Green scored an impressive win on the Ballarat Synthetic on Friday, August 16.
The five-year-old mare, having just her third race start, and first in 13 months, sat wide and still proved too strong in the Veolia Maiden (1400m).
Trained by Tony & Calvin McEvoy, Kensal Green ($3 out to $4) came from gate nine in a field of 10 and covered ground but showed great fortitude to score.
Jockey Beau Mertens had the mare away nicely but found others kicking up underneath and he had to push her across to sit outside the lead coming off the back straight.
Kensal Green kicked clear past the 300-metre mark and held on to score by a half-length from Forever More ($2.70 fav) with The Prayer ($3.20), 3-1/2 lengths away third.
Trainer Tony McEvoy said it had been a well-deserved win by Kensal Green.
“She has been very frustrating,” McEvoy said.
“She is a mare we have liked from the outset, but she has just been so soft and we haven’t been able to get to her.
“The ownership group which race her with me and Calvin have been really patient and it was lovely to see it today and she had to do it tough.
“Kensal Green has been very immature, jarring up. She is by Churchill, who is a really good stallion overseas, but this mare hasn’t been suited to Australia, and the conditions here.
“Every time we got her close, she would fall apart on us.”
McEvoy said he had been hesitant about bringing her to the races.
“When the fields came out and she drew 10, I didn’t want to run her as I thought it would be too ugly.
“The speed maps said they were going to walk, so we thought we would go across and control.
“But everyone thought the same, and Beau (Mertens) did a great job.
“He showed what a good quality, balanced rider he is. He didn’t panic, just let it unfold, she had to do it the tough way, but she did.”
Winning jockey Beau Mertens said the race had not quite gone to plan for Kensal Green, but she had been very tough.
“We discussed it pre-race and thought there didn’t appear to be a lot of pace in the race,” Mertens said.
“We thought she was fit enough to go forward and go with it.
“She jumped well enough but there was a lot more pressure than we were anticipating.
“I made her work a touch harder than I would have liked, trying to get across without doing too much.
“It was a terrific training performance by Tony and Calvin, for a horse that had had a long time off.
“She did a fantastic job.
“Considering the long spell she had, to do that work early and hold on to win the race was a tough performance.”