Contribute (Contributer) broke through for a maiden stakes victory in the Gr.3 Taranaki Cup and continues the hot run of form for New Plymouth Trainer Robbie Patterson.
“It’s been an amazing run, I can’t believe it,” Patterson said on Saturday. “I just hope it isn’t finished yet!
“Everyone always wants to win their home-town Cup, so it was very special to win that race today. It’s amazing, really.”
Contribute went into Saturday’s $120,000 race as the winner of four of her 19 career starts, including two in Queensland last year.
The six-year-old Contributer mare returned to action in New Zealand with an eye-catching fifth in the Douro Cup (1600m) at Trentham on January 20.
Lining up in only her 2nd race of her new preparation the mare settled near the back of the field and powered home down the centre of the track to win in a convincing manner.
Ridden by Patterson’s apprentice Ciel Butler, a late replacement for Craig Grylls on the morning of the race, it was the first stakes victory of her riding career.
“I’m absolutely rapt for Ciel,” Patterson said. “Craig was going to take the ride, but he just wasn’t able to make the weight this morning. He’s been struggling with a bit of a virus lately, so that’s not his fault.
“But Ciel thoroughly deserves this. She does all the work on this horse every day, and she had her in exactly the right place today.”
Bred and raced by Ross Bellingham and Adrianne Gemmell, Contribute has now had 20 starts for five wins, seven placings and $184,755 in stakes.
“This horse has done a bloody good job,” Patterson said. “She got back from Aussie and had a bit of time off. She ran really well over a mile first-up, then went straight into this good race a couple of weeks later. It was great to see her produce that sort of performance.
“We’ll have to try to chase more black type from here. A race like the Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.3, 2000m) might be a good option a bit further down the track.”
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