Unheralded three-year-old filly Moxie (Strasbourg) dented several reputations when she came from last on the home corner to collect her second win from just three starts when winning the Sistema 1400 (1400m) at Ellerslie.
The Ken Harrison-trained daughter of Strasbourg had won on debut at the venue last month with a determined finish over 1200m before finishing seventh to Saturday’s race rival Acapelago (NZ) (Belardo) at Te Rapa at her second start.
Allowed to drift in the betting market to a $17 Fixed Odds quote as punters flocked to install Acapelago ($3.50) and Britannia Gold (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) ($3.30) as warm favourites, Moxie looked to be a forlorn hope as she sat last for rider Ace Lawson-Carroll and was still in that position rounding the home bend.
Lawson-Carroll didn’t panic and weaved a path one off the fence as the filly began to wind up powerfully before storming past Acapelago and the third-placed Customized (Capitalist) at the 150m to make it two wins from just three starts and twice at New Zealand’s racing headquarters.
Harrison, who races the filly with his partner Debbie Cowling, was delighted to see their charge bounce back after her below-average performance at Te Rapa.
“That was great today as she didn’t really fire at Te Rapa, but I don’t think she handled the track there at all,” Harrison said.
“We had thought of tipping her out after that but decided to give her another shot before she does go to the paddock and I’m glad we did.
“They don’t often come from where she did today at this track but she seems to like it here and I think her sectionals will be pretty good when they come through.
“She is definitely going to the paddock now and then we will get her back and look at some of those good four-year-old races next season as getting some black type for her is a priority.”
Harrison purchased Moxie for $10,000 from Mark and Shelley Treweek’s Lyndhurst Farm draft during the 2023 Book 2 Sale at Karaka and has liked her from the minute he saw her.
“She was a lovely filly at the sale and you can’t go far wrong with the horses that Mark and Shelley take there,” he said.
“She has just taken some time to mature and I think she will be even better with more time and experience under her belt.
“We have had plenty of people looking to buy her after her first win and I expect it will be the same again now. We don’t really want to let her go as we having so much fun with her.” Moxie is out of the Pentire mare Pearly Kate (NZ) and comes from an extended family that includes outstanding New Zealand gallopers Calm Harbour (NZ) and Ryan Mark (NZ).