A brilliant front-running ride from Joe Doyle saw gritty filly Tellum upset the applecart as she downed the favourites in the Gr.2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The Debbie Sweeney-prepared three-year-old had been thereabouts in her recent racing and with no other runners prepared to set up the pace, it was Doyle and the daughter of Ocean Park who seized the initiative and dictated proceedings.
It was obvious that the filly was travelling well on the home corner and when she sneaked away with 300m to run, the members of the Flying Mullet syndicate who own her, began to make their presence felt as the volume levels increased exponentially on-course.
Tellum never looked like being caught as she held out the strong late runs of race favourite Lollapalooza, Fleeting Star and Fairy Dream to claim her third career victory and first at stakes level.
Sweeney was all smiles after the race and praised her nearly 50-strong ownership group for their support of her and the horse.
“This is extra special as she is a tough filly who has shown a lot the whole way through,” Sweeney said.
“It is a great team of owners, 47 or 49 of them, and I’m so thankful to them. There are a lot of characters in there and when she won at Te Aroha they were all in the pub at Papamoa and having an absolute blast.
“I did say to Joe that she does like to be on pace and I couldn’t believe how easily she was travelling.
“I thought we were a massive chance then and I’m just rapt with her.
“We will now carry on with her three-year-old campaign after we see how she pulls up.”
Bred by Waikato Stud, Tellum is out of Early Morning Rise, a winning half-sister by Fastnet Rock to stakes-winner and million dollar earner Rise at Dawn from class racemare Kay’s Awake, a stakes-winner that placed on four separate occasions at Group One level.
She has now won three of her seven starts and more than $180,000 in prizemoney. - LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
