Beautifully-bred four-year-old Lovetrista, part-owned by top New Zealand breeder Sir Patrick Hogan and his wife, finally fulfilled her potential when she captured the Group Two Waikato Times Gold Cup at Te Rapa.The daughter of Rock of Gibraltar and Hogan's Group One-winning mare Tristalove, by fabled Sir Tristram, broke clear of the pack in the last 150 metres and dashed home for a clear-cut 1-1/4-length victory.Lovetrista looked outstanding as a young three-year-old but after she was galloped o
Beautifully-bred four-year-old Lovetrista, part-owned by top New Zealand breeder Sir Patrick Hogan and his wife, finally fulfilled her potential when she captured the Group Two Waikato Times Gold Cup at Te Rapa.
The daughter of Rock of Gibraltar and Hogan's Group One-winning mare Tristalove, by fabled Sir Tristram, broke clear of the pack in the last 150 metres and dashed home for a clear-cut 1-1/4-length victory.
Lovetrista looked outstanding as a young three-year-old but after she was galloped on and injured in the Group One One Thousand Guineas in November 2007 she never recovered top form.
Before Saturday's win she had had 10 starts for only two wins.
After the race trainer John Sargent said the mare had always had a lot of ability but had been plagued by problems.
"A chiropractor seems to have done the trick now," he told reporters.
Sir Patrick is a life member of the Waikato Racing Club but the mare was his first starter in the Cup.
"We specifically dodged (last week's) Avondale Cup because I wanted to win the Waikato Cup, so I asked John to get her ready for this one," he said.
Punters, often bitten by Lovetrista failures, let her start at odds of $20.
Counties Cup winner Gallions Reach led the field for a good part of the muddling-run 2400m race but was headed at the 900 metres by hard-running Shariat's On Fire.
But the tough six-year-old got a second wind in the straight and held on for second ahead of 2008 Wellington Cup winner Young Centaur who ran home strongly.
Favourite Six O'Clock News, by Hogan's champion sire Zabeel, was never a chance and finished 10th.
NZPA WGT