BLAST FROM THE PAST
2013 NZ TROTTING OAKS: Won by Habibti
2013 STORER MOTERS/ NZ TROTTERS TRUST NZ TROTTING OAKS
The years NZ Trotting Oaks always promised to be a match race between the two outstanding Love You chestnut fillies Habibti and Paramount Queen, and the G3 race did not disappoint.
With odds on favourite Habibti on the second line and Paramount Queen drawn wide in a full field, the latter was always going to leave alertly for the front, but Blair Orange also knew it would only be a matter of time before Habibti and David Butt came round to take up the challenge.
Paramount Queen was clear and cruising by five lengths when they settled for the first run up the straight, while Habibti was in the three wide train with cover from the start but not making any progress as they straightened into the back straight. Butt had to then pull Habibti four wide and set sail for Paramount Queen, who had been taking them along at a merry clip on a cool and blustery evening. Butt paused momentarily before issuing his challenge as they swung for home, and Habibti was always travelling too strongly, going on to score by a length and a half in a relatively sedate 2:00.7 mile rate for the 1950m.
A week earlier, Habibti had shown blistering speed in accounting for Royal Aspirations and Sheemon in 2:22.3 (MR 1:57.4), which actually broke Stig's all-age national record by .4 of a second. Quite A Moment, who had a minor soreness issue when she raced previously in the Sales event, did well for third in a gap of four lengths, but the rest were simply outclassed. The siring quinella came as a result of Love You's second crop of 20-odd foals, having produced Sires Stakes winner Lotalov in the first. The last time this had been achieved in the race was in 2005, when One Over Kenny downed Petite Sunset for Sundon.
Habibti, one of last year's top 2-year-olds and winner of the Trotting Stakes while being narrowly beaten in the Sires Stakes, has won four of five races this season, with her only defeat being when going for a rare gallop when leading at the 300m in the Hambletonian Classic won by Paramount Queen. Butt has been battling back soreness and tie up issues with Habibti lately, but is obviously on top of things now. "She had a bit of tying up last year, but she's been a lot worse this time in and the morning of the Hambletonian she could hardly walk," said Butt. "So afterwards we changed her feed dramatically and now she does something everyday. Tomorrow she'll go for a jog just to get a sweat up, when most would be having the day off. Tie up is usually a build up in excess energy," he added.
Having made the late payment to contest this season's Sires Stakes series and the Prelude a week earlier, Habibti now goes forth to the NZ Trotting Derby next week and another round with Paramount Queen, Royal Aspirations and Sheemon, with probably only Saratoga capable of mixing it with them and perhaps a wild card in Blitzthemcalder. The latter, although impressive with a 1:56;6 mile at Melton last Friday night, could be in for a rude awakening with the quality of this crop of 3-year-olds.
Habibti will then head for Auckland for the GN Trotting Derby and Sires Stakes, and then quite possibly straight on to Australia. "We're thinking about going for the NSW Trotting Oaks and Derby and Victoria Trotting Oaks over three weeks, rather than the Jewels. She's a strong filly and probably better off racing the longer trips, than a mile, plus you only get one shot at Oaks and Derby races. Those three races go for $150,000 Australian, rather than one race for $100,000 here, and then you still have the Victorian Trotting Derby in July all going well." Butt said.
David and Catherine Butt's Birchbrook Breeding Ltd races Habibti with Rob and Lynne Paterson of Rangiora after she was purchased privately as a yearling from breeder Gaby Maghzal. At the same time they bought Habibti's chestnut brother Lothario, a good second in a 2yo trot the previous week at Addington, but he's been turned out for the season. "He's going to be a good 3yo next year, but he's not quite up to the top ones at the moment."
Credit: HRWeekly 27Mar13
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