Nick Olive has struck while the iron is hot and secured fleet-footed mare Maiden of Ore a group two race at the Melbourne Carnival in the hopes of claiming a fifth straight victory.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The leading Canberra trainer is quickly having to raise the bar with the five-year-old mare after she claimed her fourth consecutive win on The Everest day.
Maiden of Ore led from start to finish to beat Angel Of Heaven in a benchmark 78 at Royal Randwick last week to secure her seventh win from 12 starts.
Olive will head to Flemington Racecourse during Melbourne Cup week to race Maiden of Ore in the Matriarch Stakes on November 9.
"We're going down there feeling very competitive," Olive said.
"She's pulled up well and I feel she's improved again.
"It's actually quite exciting because we don't know how good she is. She's stepped up to mark every time we've put her in grade and she's won well."
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
Maiden of Ore had an injury as a young horse and only made her racing debut last year. Olive says the promising mare races well fresh but has improved over this campaign.
"She wasn't pushed early as a young horse so she's had time to mature and she's really coming into her own now," Olive said.
"She's always had ability but with maturity and being lightly race, I think that's paying divot ends right now."
Meanwhile, Olive-trained Larmour ran third in a benchmark 60 (2000 metres) at Thoroughbred Park on Friday.
John Sargent's Stick 'Em Up crossed the line first, beating Joseph Ible-trained Sepulchre by 1.93 lengths.
Kosciuszko-winning trainer Keith Dryden had three horses in the Federal, with Gunga Din claiming the $40,000 race.
The four-year-old gelding burst ahead in the final hundred metres to beat Le Cavalier by one length, while Monte Majura finished third.
Lucie Bertoldo
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
