Cherish Me continues to impress at Ashburton

By Mike Love 

It was "threes" all round for the Dalgety barn at Sunday’s feature Ashburton meeting.

There were training successes for Cran and Chrissie and three more driving wins for son Carter, with the three-year-old Cherish Me one of the stand out performers.

The daughter of Adore Me continued to make her mark as an upcoming contender for some of the big fillies races later on this season, after winning the Liquorland Racecourse Road ‘Silk Road’ Mobile Pace, clocking a 1.53 mile rate for the 1700m trip.  

“The breeding is a big bonus for us. She just keeps improving, we’ve still got a hood on her as she can still get a bit enthusiastic at times,” said Cran Dalgety. 

“We didn’t expect her to go the time that she did in just her fourth start.” 

“She will head to the Silk Road final at Addington on June 12th.” 

Jumping back into the winners circle, and now jumping into the paddock, is Freeze Frame. The Bettor's Delight colt had not won since winning the Sires' Stakes Final back on Cup day last year, and Dalgety was rapt to see his star take luck out of play in the event. 

“He’s had a lot of hard luck stories in his last four or five starts. Being out the back in some of those classic age group races you just can’t loop the field when Jumal’s up front. So, it was good to be on the front line on Sunday, and to run a 25.5 final quarter is pretty good going.”

“He’s going for a holiday now, and will come back in for spring racing.” 

While one of the most impressive performances of the day was undoubtedly Franco Sinatra, when winning the Rakaia Seed Cleaning FFA Mobile Pace.Leading from barrier rise, setting alight the Ashburton grit with a 1.50.86 mile rate, boosted with a 54.3 and 26.5 seconds closing sectionals.

“I thought he would have been one of the favourites for the races - when he opened at $11.00 I couldn't believe it. His second to It’s Tough, I thought was a super run.”

“He set up the fast time, I thought it was a really good effort. I would have loved to have broken the 1.50, and been the first horse to do it in New Zealand."

“He’s going for a break now, then we will come back and try and sit around the preferential racing and make a bit of money with him.” 

The three wins took Cran and Chrissie to 37 for the season, and just a few grand short of $700,000 in stakes.  

Other highlights saw Nella Keenan take out the day's feature, the Helen Pope Memorial 2YO Fillies Stakes, driven by Ricky May, for trainer Steven Reid. 

The Downbytheseaside filly made it her first win from three starts, after two strong seconds previously. Winning in a 1.52.5 mile rate for the 1700m bodes well for the filly. 

An eye-catching second placing by debutant Lazarus filly Jorja, with Kimberly Butt for trainer Bronson Munro, was also a highlight in the Group 3 event.