By David Nagel
A new treadmill might be just the beginning of renovations to the Pakenham stables of trainer Charlotte Littlefield after the popular local prepared two winners in three days last week.
Littlefield trained Merle The Pearl to victory in the $50,000 BM70 Three-Year-Old Fillies Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on Wednesday, before Prince Alby made it a great week for the stable with a narrow victory in Friday’s $35,000 BM64 Handicap (2418m) at Geelong.
Merle The Pearl made it back-to-back victories at Sandown, pleasing Littlefield after a four-week let up after a barnstorming five-length victory on her home track at Pakenham on May 20.
Littlefield said the three-year-old filly had always shown promise and the timing of her winning streak was impeccable.
“We’ve always had a nice opinion of her and it’s just great that she’s built gradually through the grades,” Littlefield said.
“We own 50 per cent of her, which is fantastic, and I think I’m going to thank Luke (Currie) personally because we were getting a bit dire there.
“We just purchased a tread mill because things are really taking off with the move to Pakenham, so every little bit extra really helps at the moment.”
Littlefield said the daughter of Anacheeva/Lovely You’re Here would continue to improve when she comes back from the paddock as a four-year-old mare.
“Her owner did get quite excited after her last start and said he could see her attacking a decent race at some point in the future,” she said.
“I think if we put her in the paddock after today and bring her back as a four year old I think she’ll come back much better as an older mare, but she certainly did a really great job today.”
Jockey Luke Currie was also impressed with the win, coming off a four-week freshen up.
“It was a good effort,” Currie told Racing.com after the race.
“She was a little bit keen due to a bit of time between runs and also up to the mile, so I was a little bit worried that she might be vulnerable late, but she wasn’t, she was good and strong to the line.
“She won really well last time, albeit on the synthetic. She handled the soft going today and showed a nice turn of foot, she’s only lightly raced so she’ll improve off that.
“I just said to Charlotte that I wouldn’t be in a hurry to step her out further now and she said she’ll take her away for a break now anyway. She’ll come back and furnish into a nice mare.”
Merle The Pearl is only lightly raced with Wednesday’s victory her second win from four career starts.
Prince Alby earned a thoroughly deserved victory with the seven-year-old gelding capping off a consistent preparation with a neck-win at Geelong on Friday.
Littlefield had Prince Alby in fine form last winter, scoring two wins and four placings from six starts, and the pair look set for another strong preparation this time around.
Prince Alby put the writing on the wall with a second placing at Sale, over 2232m, last start, and went one better after jockey Ben Melham timed his run to perfection.
“He’s a horse that has no tactical speed and he comes off the bridle but he really comes into his own on these wet tracks,” Melham said after the race.
“I was following the favourite and knew we had him covered shortly after straightening, he let down well and he’s a good strong stayer at this trip.
“Once I did get him through his gears he levelled out and he quickened up quite well.
“I think when he got to the front he had a bit of a look around and sort of waited a little bit, but he’s in at the right time of year and he’s a good wet tracker, particularly at this trip.”
Prince Alby had a nine-start preparation last year, so expect him to continue to churn out the runs with this win coming at just his fourth run this campaign.
Gun Pakenham-trainer Phillip Stokes made it back-to-back victories for Pakenham trainers when his three-year-old gelding Bottom Line won over the 1412-metre journey at Geelong.
Bottom Line started a short $2.30 favourite and confirmed that quote with a strong win, his second from eight starts.
Jockey Ben Allen said the victory was even more meritorious than it appeared with Bottom Line not having the race run to suit.
“He’s a big horse and I really wanted to keep him one off and give him his own room but we didn’t have the luxury of that today so I had to go back to the fence and just bide our time and ride for luck,” Allen said.
“He’s a big horse and doesn’t like being crowded on the inside and coming down the hill it was quite cut up and was definitely the inferior ground. The second horse was able to come out and build into it where I just had to take the runs where I could.
“But once he got out to the better going he knuckled down and was tough.”
Stokes had a big say in proceedings at Flemington on Saturday as well with his three-year-old filly Unique Artist ($34) donkey-licking her rivals in the $135,000 Sir Henry Bolte Handicap (2000m).
Kiwi-jockey Michael Dee gave Unique Artist a dream run throughout and the pair bolted away down the famous Flemington straight to win by three lengths.
Unique Artist, who knocked many – including this punter – out of the first leg of the quaddie has now won back-to-back races after a five-length stroll at Pakenham Last start.
Pakenham’s next race meeting is set down for Monday, 28 June.
