Ideal BB wins for Faithful

Winton trainer harness racing Chelsea Faithful was expecting new recruit Ideal BB to run well at Ascot Park today, but getting a win did surprise her.

“I was expecting her to go nice but not to win like that,” she said.

Ideal BB settled third last early avoiding an early galloper before running two back on the outside. At the 400 driver Nathan Williamson let the mare slide forward and she let down nicely centre track to get up and beat pacemaker Superfast by two and a quarter lengths. The winning time of 2-45.9 was respectable on a cold day.

“I thought she’d be short for the run today and she will improve. She’ll win another one relatively easily I think.”

Shortly after the finish Ideal BB looked to be in trouble as he galloped and had to be taken to the inside of the track.

“I stopped watching and everyone said ‘what happened to your horse. Did it break its leg?’ She pulled a shoe just before the finish putting in a couple of rough ones. It looked a lot worse than it actually was.”

Ideal BB qualified for Kirk Larsen at Winton in October 2019 and had two race day starts from the stable – the last 12 months ago.

“Kirk did all the work with her. She hasn’t raced for a year. She was spelled to strengthen up because she’s quite a big mare.”

“She’s had two workouts for me. The first one she went fair but in the second I was much happier with her as she found the line nicely.”

Ideal BB is raced by Dunedin Doctor Onn Chin who’s had lots of success with the Tartan breed, which he’s had for many years.

“Onn have been pretty good to me let me have a go with them. The one’s I’ve got here at the moment are not superstars but they’re honest and go good races every week. These are their last race horses. Kirk liked her (Ideal BB) but she hadn’t shown too much. Coming here was a change and something different. Being in a smaller stable suits her because she’s quite an anxious horse. She does a bit of thinking but she loves the one on one (attention).”

Recently retired Tartan Trilogy is still at the stable.

“He’s been a pest. He’s the stable GP at the moment. He keeps them all in line. I’ve just got Tartan Raider to come back.”

Faithfuls success, and the way in which she turns her horse out on race day, mean her services have been in demand, but she has limited stable space.

“It’s frustrating at the moment. I’ve got so many horses here that I don’t have enough boxes for and some of them have to stay outside. I don’t really like paddock training them especially in winter. I’m waiting for the builder to come and put up two more boxes which will be ideal.”

Faithful is now looking at starting Ideal BB in a junior driver’s race.

“They’re not that easy to win at times. I’ll look to get Mark Hurrell to drive her but he’s suspended at the moment so it’ll depend on when he gets back. I always like using the more experienced juniors – the ones that are patient and listen.”

Meanwhile stable star Pay Me Speedy is likely to line up at Addington this Friday.

“It’s Premier night and there’s a $20,000 race there for her. She’s good enough to go so there’s no point in shying away. It’s a 2600 metre mobile which should suit her down to the ground.”

It’ll be the first time the young trainer has ventured to the metropolitan track. “I’m a bit nervous already. I’ll be a good experience for both her and me. It’ll make her grow up.”

Faithful works for Williamson during the day and trains her own horses when she can.

“I’ve got to go now and work Tartan Roxy.”

Today’s win was one of four for Williamson.

View the Invercargill harness racing results click here!

by Bruce Stewart