BLAST FROM THE PAST
2013 NZ BREEDERS STAKES: Won by Bettor Cover Lover
2013 PGG WRIGHTSON NZ BREEDERS STAKES
There is no stopping Bettor Cover Lover. Good opposition, bad draws, short trips, long ones; there's no hurdle. She truly is a great mare.
She beat Tatijana Bromac and Elusive Chick in the Group 1 PGG Wrightson NZ Breeders Stakes at Addington last Friday night with a typically rugged effort and a drive by Brent Mangos that coupled conservatism with confidence.
He pushed through early from the second line to settle in midfield on the outer. The position got better, and while Mangos could have stayed where he was for a bit longer, and took the risk out of the equation at the 1000m, and went forward. Elusive Chick gave him the front, and soon Mangos was opening up. The big mare kept running at a steady but hard pace, gradually extending her lead as Mangos drove her out. The race was over and the result was clear except for the margin at the 200m, Tatijana Bromac running strongly out of the pack to take second from Elusive Chick.
Bettor Cover Lover is unbeaten in five starts this season, and her earnings from 28 starts and 18 wins are $914,406. She was bred by Denis Bennett and Linda Joyce, and raced by Karnup Racing Ltd of Perth. Bettor Cover Lover will now have a quiet week before Mangos heads to Menangle for the Ladyship Mile in March.
He is philosophical the golden run won't last for ever. "She's as good now as you could get her, but I know she's not going to win every week." And while that's just what she's doing now, Mangos still reflects with awe on her recovery from an awful foot injury during a trip to Australia when she was three. "Saving her life, and going from there to a broodmare to a racecourse again...that took a long time and a lot of good management. For a start it was touch and go. If an infection had set in that was the end of it. Now she's virtually grown a new foot and she's never been lame on it," he said.
Along with co-trainer Hayden Cullen, Mangos has a strong team, but none of them will ever have a tale of survival and success like 'Betty'.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 6Feb13
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