“He came out of the saddle. We screwed him back in and when we scored the second time he popped out again. It’s very unusual. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before, even at home. We ended up racing without him,” said Williamson.
The rook ring holds the rein and also supports a post if the horse is wearing one.
“I had to remove the stick that the horse needs. That made everything a bit more complicated, but the horse put her best foot forward.”
After a slow start, Williamson put Penelope Lane back on the outer racecourse. Within the last 400 she improved widely and was too strong for Whispering Over, winning by three and a half lengths.
PENELOPE LANE REPEAT
“The race was run at quite a fast pace which suited her and she was quite strong all the way to the line. Her last few wins have been in Oamaru which is an advantage in her home town. She has never galloped here so that helps her confidence.”
The three-year-old filly won her first start but developed a bad habit of breaking.
“She was hanging and got off balance going into the first corner. We changed gears a bit and the horse has gained a bit more confidence and she has been trotting very well lately.”
Two possible starts for the three-year-old are the $140,000 Group One New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington on November 21 and the $60,000 Listed Harness 5000 for three-year-old trotting mares at Ashburton.
“I think we’ll try them both. She’s in the field for Cup Day, so I’m not sure if she’ll get a 10-yard handicap. I think she’s a good staying horse and seems better over the distance. She’s quite tough. She might lack a little bit of the top speed you need for those 1980-yard races.”
Owned by her Winton breeder Michelle Caig, Penelope Lane is out of the Lindy Lane mare City Lane, making her a half-sister to Renezmae and Saratoga, who both won seven races.
“Michelle has made the trip to Oamaru the last few times and to say she is over the moon is an understatement. I think every watch was nervous for Michelle with this horse. She has been thinking about her a lot the whole time and turned down quite a bit of money for her in the early days. That series of galloping makes me think things would have been quite stressful for her. Fortunately the horse is getting a bit more ringcraft and Michelle’s faith in her is starting to repay and give her a lot of excitement now.”
For full race results, click here.
Through Bruce Stewartfor Harnesslink
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