Crunchie the best bar none

Three year old filly Crunchie (Captain Crunch) trained by Denise Ottley proved too strong when she won on debut at the Banks Peninsula meeting at Orari yesterday.

After a safe beginning, Denise’s daughter Sam took Crunchie to the front where the pair dictated all the terms. Olympian who sat parked came up for a look at the 500, but Ottley let her filly lengthen stride. Halfway down the long Orari straight the field started to close in, but once the plugs were released Crunchie came away to beat Olympian by three lengths.

CRUNCHIE REPLAY

The filly was made favourite for yesterday’s race after a good workout at Addington and a trial at Ashburton.

“She’s gone quite nice at the trials but that was a huge step up. And she definitely stepped up to the mark,” said Denise.

She co-owns the filly with Raewyn Low who bred the filly and also trains out of Ashburton.

“I do her breaking in and a wee bit of pre-training. I’d broken her in and done a pre. Raewyn had her at home but then Raewyn severely broke her ankle and was out of action for six months. Obviously she couldn’t work her and asked me if I’d be interested in taking a half share. Lucky me.”

It was Denise’s forty first winner.

“We’ll give her a couple more starts. Being on the grass surprisingly she didn’t blow too much and she was hooking into her dinner when I fed her.”

Crunchie is the first foal out of the Sportswriter mare Onedin Steph who was bred by Roxburgh couple Bill and Pauline Bain.

The pedigree goes back to a family the late Alister Stockdale had success with and Onedin Legacy bred by Stockdale and trained by Henderson Hunter won twelve races including the 2006 Invercargill Cup. Onedin Crusader, Ashanna and Trusty Onedin all won five and were other good winners out of the immediate family.

Going back further, the family provided Murray Brown with his first winner in 1984 with Mike Adios.

Ottley’s only other stable runner Valletta (Majestic Son) ran fourth on debut in a earlier race yesterday.

“I was happy. She was in the trail and got carted back. She had to push out and come home, but she did a good job.”

Denise’s main client for breaking in young horses is Mark Jones.

“I do a few others but you can’t take on too many as you just run out of time to do them all justice. I’ve got seven boxes and after the Sales they’ve been full up until recently. It’s a lot of work.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink