Marikit - a Nairn star on the rise
Master trotting trainer Paul Nairn looks to have uncovered another young trotting star in Marikit (Waterloo Sunset).
In last night’s race at Addington, the three year old filly got back early before improving with a lap to run to sit parked outside leader Harriot’s Moment.
Turning in she mastered Harriot’s Moment, before holding out a late run from Request to win by a length.
“She won a lot easier than it looked. She was mucking around a bit. When I dropped onto Rick’s back (Harriot’s Moment) she dropped the bit, so she’s still got a bit to learn. But she’s got a heck of a lot of ability. She’s only had four starts but she’s got lovely manners and is a beautiful filly so hopefully she’s got a good couple of months coming up,” said driver Bob Butt.
MARIKIT REPLAY
The win was her third this campaign.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise really. Not much worries her. Even when we went to get swabbed after the race. She’d only been there once before but she went to pee within thirty seconds. The swabbing man said only good horses do that. They just know what they’re there for,” Nairn said.
Marikit’s race name derives from the Filipino word Marikit which means pretty or gorgeous.
“She is quite pretty. She’s a chestnut with a white star. She is quite a good looking horse.”
The three year old filly is owned by Paul’s wife Vangie who was born in the Philippines.
“She had the flu yesterday so she didn’t make it last night. I’d say there’ll be a good chance she’d be there next week for the Sires’ Stakes race.”
The $60,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Trotting Fillies Classique at Addington this Friday is her next target and other feature races on the calendar include the Hambletonian at Ashburton 26th October, the $125,000 New Zealand Trotting Oaks at Addington on 6th November and the $200,000 New Zealand Trotting Derby two weeks later.
“There’s plenty coming up, but I haven’t been too concerned about that. I’ve just been concentrating on this race. Yes, all those good races on the cards for her.”
This years crop of three year old trotting fillies looks exceptionally strong and includes Duchess Maria, Our Col, Petite Armour, Delphyne, Just For Today, Imperious Girl, New Mexico and Living On A Prayer.
Nairn has a fine record in the New Zealand Trotting Derby, winning in 1995 with Above The Stars, Enthusiast in 2000, Shirley Temple 2007 and Lotamuscle in 2019.
“She seems to be a candidate at this stage. She seems to stay good.”
He has also trained two New Zealand Trotting Oaks winners in Wilma’s Mate and Habibti Ivy.
“She (Marikit) was a wee bit tough for a while when she was younger – a wee bit of a handful. I took her to the Ellesmere Show as a two year old. They have a trotting and pacing class there. She spent most of the day trotting around and she went in the Grand Parade. We bowled round in the Grand Parade with a bit of speed. It was then that I felt she could make a nice trotter.”
Marikit is out of the Elsu mare Karimaia who was bred by the late Vin Nally.
“I just happened to see it on Horse Trader to give away. I looked up her breeding (Karimaia) and I thought it would be a good cross with my stallion (Waterloo Sunset). The other bit I liked was that she went back to my old boss Bill Doyle’s breed on the dam side with Chances Are. Elsu also had some very good trotters in his family.”
Karimaia’s dam Ballymena left Scarrymcleary who was also by Elsu.
After winning thirteen races as a pacer (8 in New Zealand and a further 5 in Australia) he was converted to the trotting gait by his Australian trainer David Thorn.
He qualified as a trotter in Australia and after having only one start in that gait, he returned to New Zealand where he won eight races as a trotter for John Dickie and his son Joshua.
Scarrymcleary was raced by the Dolamite Syndicate which was managed by Nally.
Elsu’s second dam Zenover was sent to trotting stallions early in her breeding career, leaving the likes of Harvey Wilson which won the New Zealand Trotting and Northern Trotting Derbies, Jenover (won 5), Harvey’s Sister (5) and Zebec (10). Zebec won the 1983 New Zealand Trotting Derby for Jack Smolenski.
It wasn’t until late in her breeding career that she was sent to pacing stallions, and left Interchange (New York Motoring) the dam of Elsu and Motoring Magic (New York Motoring) the winner of ten.
As a sire Elsu has left 15 trotting winners that collectively won 35 races. Dusky Eyre (8) and Tout Noir (5) were the pick of them.
Marikit’s father Waterloo Sunset has also done a very good job at stud from limited numbers.
He’s left Bella Button which won eight for Mark Jones before he was exported to America, Head Em Up, the winner of two of his five starts for Nairn including the G3 New Zealand Trotting Stakes and Marikit’s older brother Tu Tangata who has won four.
“He’s available to breeders this season. If anyone looks at his statistics he’s done a very good job with the mares he’s had.”
Nairn has a two year full sister to Marikit which has been broken in and a weanling filly which was bred by Nally on his books.
“I always said to Vin that I always intended to breed one and send her back in foal, but he didn’t have anywhere to put the mare. Every time I put her back in foal he’d say ‘you have that one.’ With the weanling there was always a chance it would go to Vin or his grandson (Tom). As it turned out we lost Vin unfortunately, so what’s happened is that I’ve bought the mare and I have taken over the weanling.”
For complete race results, click here.
by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink
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