Coastal Babe looking to extend record

Harness racing filly Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) trained by Steven Reid, has come up with the perfect marble in the Group One $140,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Sires’ Stakes Series Final at Addington tomorrow (Nov. 17).

“I’ve never told Matty (White) what to do. In the three wins she’s had I’ve just told him about her fitness and where she’s at. I suppose it’s hard on him when he’s driving a pretty good horse and gets these kinds of draws. She’s got gate speed and it’s probably hard not to drive her forward. I suppose one day she might get a second row draw and he may have to revaluate the situation,” Reid said.

Reid says drawing a good marble in the big race is good on one hand but also increases the expectations.

“When you draw like that, you’re thinking she should just roll to the front but as I said before I won’t tell Matt what to do. You’d be tending to think with her gate speed and the domination she showed in her last couple of starts that he’s probably going to be rolling out the gate and looking for the front.”

Coastal Babe has impressively won her last two starts – the Group One Caduceus Club Two Year Old Classic at Alexandra Park in September and the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million at Addington in the middle of last month.

Since Coastal Babe has been in the south she’s been stabled at Benny Hill’s Swannanoa property and  Reid has taken her to trials at Addington and Rangiora.

“I’d always planned the Cup Trial, but Rangiora was a wee bit of an afterthought. Because the Methven races were moved the trials at Rangiora were shifted. I was going to take her there to work but when the trials were shifted I chucked her in,” Reid said.

In her trial at Addington Coastal Babe ran third with Melody Banner (Captaintreacherous) beating Ultimate Racy Girl (Ultimate Machete) by a nose with Coastal Babe three quarters of a length back in third.

“I thought her trial was great. They got home in 27.2 off the front and she’s come from nine to ten lengths off them at the 800. I said to Matt at the trials to take her back early and let her follow because I don’t want her to think she’s always having to buzz the gate. He did, and he said she was great.”

Reid has noticed recent physical changes in the filly.

“She’s always been a light framed filly but I think she’s filled out quite a bit since she’s been down here. The other thing I’ve noticed is that her biting has become a little bit more prevalent. She’s not scared to try and take a nip out of you.”

Reid has been in the sport for a long time and has had a number of top liners. He says he’s at an age when the pressure of training a good horse isn’t quite the same.

“I know when I had Gold Ace (Bettor’s Delight) it was verging on not being enjoyable but I’m just trying really hard to enjoy her. I’m getting too old to worry about the pressure now. I think when you’re younger and a good horse comes along you do feel the pressure a bit.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink