Photo: Trish Dunell
Former handy juvenile High Class finally put it all together on raceday as she ended a two-year absence from the winner’s enclosure with a gritty performance to score at Te Rapa on the weekend.
The now four-year-old Shocking mare had looked to have any amount of ability when she downed a talented field of two-year-olds, including subsequent Gr. 1 1000 Guineas winner Risque, on debut at Avondale back in May 2015. She then finished fourth in Listed company to round out her two-year-old season before commencing a three-year-old campaign that saw her form drop away markedly after finishing runner-up to No More Tears in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes at Ellerslie.
Since then the enigmatic mare has shown glimpses of her true ability in her latest preparation without managing to notch a victory for trainer Jenna Mahoney and her connections. A frustrating run of three minor placings came to an end on Saturday when she put her best foot forward in the hands of regular rider Alysha Collett to down a handy line-up of fillies and mares over 1600 metres.
“She’s become a nice consistent mare now as she has matured and is running well,” commented Mahoney after the race.
“She’s not had a lot of luck and some bad draws and really needs a track to suit.
“She’s not a true Heavy11 track type of horse so we brought her back to Te Rapa where it really suited her and I knew she would be hard to beat.”
Bred by Nearco Stud Limited High Class is out of the stakes winning Magic Ring mare Mill Duckie. She was purchased by Cyprus Stables out of Curraghmore's 2014 NZB Select Yearling Sale for $30,000. – NZ Racing Desk
