Leica Lucy Trainer Looking to Rebound from Devastating Week

Media Release - Friday February 28

New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson is thankful he is still alive following the devastation of losing his house to a fire earlier this week.

While he has lost his household possessions, Patterson is grateful that he and his daughter weren’t at home at the time of the incident, and they can rebuild their lives.

Leica Lucy will contest Sunday's Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Trentham.  Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

“My house burnt down and we lost everything, but we didn’t lose our lives,” Patterson said.

“It was very fortuitous that we weren’t there because we wouldn’t have survived it, it was pretty messy, and it happened in the very early hours of the morning when we would have been asleep. We are very lucky to live.”

Taking a silver lining approach to the incident, Patterson has pressed on with his race team and is looking forward to heading south to Trentham on Sunday where his star filly Leica Lucy will contest the Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m), her final lead-in run to next month’s $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

The daughter of Derryn has been a revelation for Patterson and owner-breeders Peter and Heather Crofskey, winning three of her first four starts, including the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).

Her impressive run of form caught the eye of prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, who bought into the filly earlier this month, and she carried his familiar silks to victory in the Gr.2 Daivd & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa just days later.

Kheir will make the journey across the Tasman to watch his filly race this weekend, and Patterson is hopeful he can reward Kheir with a victory in the Group Two feature.

“It will be nice to meet him, and it would be lovely if he can watch his horse win,” Patterson said.

Advertisement

“She is 100 percent and has worked up super this week. She is bordering on being too well at the moment actually, she is thriving that much. I am really happy going into it.”

Leica Lucy is tipped to continue her winning streak, with TAB bookmakers installing her a $1.50 hot favourite for Sunday’s feature, ahead of Connello ($6.50) and Myakkabelle ($8).

Patterson is hoping stablemates One Bold Gigolo and Sir Bruce can also continue their winning ways, with the last-start winners set to contest the Rothley 1400 and Mana Plumbing 2100 respectively.

“It was a nice win last start from One Bold Gigolo, but he is going from a Thursday maiden to a Saturday race,” Patterson said. “But he is a progressive horse, he is well drawn (1), and he will put himself in the race. I can’t see why he can’t figure in the finish.

“Sir Bruce is another progressive staying type. He is going to get back from that draw (15), which isn’t going to be a worry. I would love to see him track into the race and if he can get a truly run race and a nice track, he will be flying down the outside.”

Patterson’s Trentham team will be rounded out by two-win Derryn mare Sinbin, who will contest the MG Tiling & Clarky’s Painting 1200.

“She is going to get back from that draw (11),” he said. “She went a super race fresh-up, she got home really strong at New Plymouth. A repeat of that performance will see her flashing home.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Monday September 8
Here is the full list of 18 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
G1 Manikato Next for Alabama Lass
New Zealand sprinter Alabama Lass will press on for a tilt at the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley later this month following her runner-up effort in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at the Melbourne track last Saturday.
Tara Talks Racing – This Week We Talk to Bennett Racing
In the wash up of last Saturday’s great day of spring racing there was no winner that meant more to his connections than Group I MVRC Moir Stakes victory Baraqiel, so our obvious guest this week had to be Nathan Bennett.
Vale, Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock was a crowd pleaser when paraded as a living legend at the Coolmore stallion parade last month, but sadly this spring was to be his last. 
Mulberry Racing Purchase $550,000 Colt at Keeneland September
Australian based Mulberry Racing featured on the buyers list during the first session of the Keenland September Yearling Sale purchasing a colt by Quality Road for $550,000.
Vale, Ryan Smith
Victorian breeding farm Kulani Park are mourning the loss of partner and family member Ryan Smith.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 9
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$3.3million Gun Runner Colt Tops Keeneland September Day 1
Keeneland’s 2025 September Yearling Sale began Monday with double-digit gains while posting a record average price of $653,208 and selling 15 horses for $1 million or more led by a colt by Gun Runner for $3.3 million to M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. The average topped the previous record $611,038 for a single session set during Day 2 in 2024, and the number of seven-
Impressive First Foals for Don Corleone
The first son of outstanding sire Extreme Choice to find his way to Queensland, Group I performer Don Corleone proved very popular with breeders last spring covering 133 mares at Eureka Stud and his first foals are exactly what you might hope for.
New G1 Winner for Wootton Bassett
Back in Australia for another season at Coolmore, Wootton Bassett (GB) was expected to get a 3YO Group I winner in France on Sunday, but the horse that got the job done was not the one punters expected.