Star mare Probabeel is heading home to New Zealand after a successful spring campaign in Australia.
The preparation came to an end after her gutsy performance in Saturday’s Cox Plate (2040m), where she worked hard to finish midfield.
Her campaign was full of highlights, with back-to-back victories, including the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m), where she put away her opposition with ease.
Second Gr1 win for Savabeel 4yo PROBABEEL in the Epsom Handicap. @KPMcEvoy @KarakaChat @CambridgeStud @WaikatoStud @NZTM_TWEET pic.twitter.com/mA3uKUiyBA
— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) October 3, 2020
Trainer Jamie Richards said Probabeel was feeling the effects of the brutal Cox Plate run on the wet grouns, but that the mare was in good condition.
“She’s pretty tired and knows she has had a hard run,” Richards said.
“We’ll take it easy with her now and she will come back to New Zealand for a break and then we’ll get her ready from here for an autumn campaign in Sydney.”
“The race went to plan from the draw, we rode a positive race, but she just found the going too tough and wasn’t able to hold in there the last bit.
“I would say we won’t run her over that sort of trip on bad ground again as she needs the firm footing to be effective over more distance.”
