Seventh career win for former NZ Trotting Oaks winner

By Michael Guerin

Con Grazia Love may earn herself another season if she can keep racing like she did at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

But with her real worth maybe off the track she might be racing on borrowed time.

The former NZ Trotting Oaks winner was back in the winner’s circle in the hands of Emily Johnson winning the $20,000 Reharvest Trot for the seventh victory of her career, although that record doesn’t really represent how good she has been.

Trainer Sean McCaffrey has been very open in about the now six-year-old’s battle with stomach ulcers and while he now has those under control Lady Luck seemed to have deserted Con Grazia Love.  Until Friday.
 
She has been getting back down in the ratings so this looked a good race for her,” explains McCaffrey.

“Once they went so hard in front and she was able to track them and Emily popped off the leader’s back when she did she was always going to be hard to beat.”

McCaffrey says Con Grazia Love can now race through the winter as for a mare who has competed in plenty of black type races she is only on a intermediate rating and can win again soon.

“But she might end up being bred from later this year. She is so well bred and should leave lovely foals.”

Con Grazia Love is out Con Grazia, who while she only won one race is out of Chiola’s Lass, an outstanding filly and producer.

Chiola’s Lass of course left outstanding mare Allegro Agitato, who has herself left six individual winners so sent to the right stallion Con Grazia Love could leave highly commercial stock.

Con Grazia Love is one of 10 trotters McCaffrey has in work at the same Waikato property where Dr Luk Chin has five but McCaffrey says there is plenty of help on the way.

“We have 12 young ones still to come in so there is plenty to go on with.”

Con Grazia Love wasn’t the only talented Waikato mare winning at The Park on Friday as Seaclusion beat high class younger mares Treacherous Baby and Mantra Blue in the opening event. 

She was beautifully rated by James Stormont, who is the hands-on trainer of Graeme Rogerson’s harness team and doing a great job.

Stormont is only recently back from a severe leg injury that could still require more surgery but luckily doesn’t hurt when driving.

“I am enjoying having some nice horses to work with at Graeme’s and this mare is a lovely horse, who doesn’t have to lead to win.

“But the leg is still giving me some grief, you don’t heal as quickly when you get older,” smiled the 60-year-old.

Tony Herlihy was one of the other stars of the night as he trained and drove Youneverknow and Double Parked to popular victories while Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan got graded wins with Higher Power and Ocean Eyes.