Huffer accounts for strong sprinting line-up

Huffer boosted her future broodmare value when she downed a competitive line-up in her open class debut at Te Rapa on Saturday. The WS-bred and owned Pins mare has now won six of her 16 races to add further performance to a proven pedigree.

Out of the stakes winning O’Reilly mare Glitzy, the five-year-old is a sister to the Australian Group performer Glintz. It is a family that also features the Gr 3 Thames Valley Stakes winner Irish Flirt whose daughter McFlirt has been a dual black type winner across the Tasman.

Huffer had been ready to resume the previous week, but trainer Graham Richardson decided to delay her return and that move paid off with a handsome victory in today’s Mitavite Premier Handicap. “I’m pleased we didn’t run last Saturday – she wouldn’t have handled the track at Hastings and she got away with it here,” he said.

The winner of four races as Sequin for her breeders Waikato Stud, the Matamata farm embraced the Social Racing promotion this season by racing her with the Huffer Club, whose free membership has attracted a fan club of a 1000. Huffer’s previous success for the partnership had been at Ellerslie in December to fuel an ambition to start in the Gr.1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph Handicap.

“She’s got that quality, but unfortunately she didn’t make the field,” Richardson said. “She’d been up for a little bit so we freshened her up and she’s come back well. It was a tough effort to win against such a strong field.”

Huffer raced outside the leader to the turn and kicked on strongly under Mark Du Plessis to win by a length. “There was a question mark about the ground, but she handled it really well and her racing pattern helped,” Du Plessis said.