Home success would ease trainer’s disappointment

16 January 2015

Wayne Marshment is re-adjusting to life without his stable star and hopeful of success at his home meeting on Thursday.

The Wanganui trainer has three runners and all are considered winning chances to ease the disappointment of losing the services of the quality mare O’Fille.

The dual Group Three winner of the Cuddle and Trentham Stakes and Group One placed in a Zabeel Classic, O’Fille’s record of six wins from 30 starts could have been so much better, according to Marshment.

“She was unlucky a number of times and should have won two Cuddle Stakes and probably the Wellington Cup as well,” he said.

“She’s a valuable mare and we’ve been battling to get her right for a while with a bit of swelling in a tendon and thought it better to retire her rather than risk anything more serious.”

Desperately unlucky when blocked for room when seventh in the 2013 Wellington Cup, O’Fille was unplaced last year in the Trentham feature on a hard track.

“She’s never really been right after that when she jarred up badly,” Marshment said.

Dancer’s Tale is a relative newcomer to the stable and she can help to fill a void with a bold showing in the Bristol & Son 1200 on Thursday.

The four-year-old hasn’t won since she was successful in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Riccarton as a juvenile and has weighed in at both outings for Marshment this preparation.

“In her first start she got galloped on and had a back plate pulled off and then at Stratford she was three wide without any cover,” he said.

Marshment is also expecting top showings from his maiden contenders Worldclass, a good second on debut at Otaki, and Von Toll, who has been working well in preparation for his return to racing. – NZ Racing Desk.

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