Darling Me heads north

By Michael Guerin

Steve and Amanda Telfer have added some major firepower to their assault on the Northern Oaks just weeks after winning their first Group One.

The South Auckland trainers captured the Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires’ 3YO fillies final with Enjoy Me on New Year's Eve and she now has "ownershipmate" Darling Me joining the team. Darling Me was fourth in the final behind Enjoy Me, Bettor Twist and La Rosa.

“After the New Years Eve meeting I told Paul and Mary (Kenny, owners) that Enjoy Me needed 10 days in the paddock and they said Darling Me, which they also own, needed a break too,” explains Steve Telfer.

“So we offered to spell them here (Stonewall Stud) together and then after a few days they said we might as well hold on to her and bring them up together for the Oaks.

“So she is a really nice filly to get and they are both now back in work.”

A winner of three from 10, Darling Me was formerly trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen and is one of very few horses to have not stayed on with new trainer Hayden Cullen.

“Paul and Mary explained to me they still have four or five horses down there with Hayden they just thought this filly would be suited up here, especially with the Oaks here as the next major three-year-old fillies race she was eligible for.”

The Oaks is scheduled for March 5.

Telfer also has one of the country’s best male three-year-old pacers in B D Joe, who is going through a growing phase.

“That was probably why he weakened off a touch and wasn’t finding the line quite as well over the last 50m of his races,” says Telfer.

“We know how good he is and have actually sent him to Margaret Park for two to three weeks on the water walker and then we will make a call on the Derby up here but I’d say he will be there.” Telfer and his owners are considering offers for some of their open class regulars so there could be some movement among the older horses in the stable but they have plenty of equine ammo to go on with and he admits he now looks at some of the group one targets for B D Joe and Enjoy Me with renewed confidence.

“We have nice horses and of course that coincides with Mark and Natalie taking a break so we have a chance in some races whereas previously often we have gone into group ones hopeful more than anything else.”