Waikato horseman Peter Grey celebrated his first winner in the training role at Tauranga on Sunday, breaking maiden status alongside his filly Slick Chick (NZ) (Reliable Man).
A daughter of Reliable Man, Slick Chick defied her $57 closing price when finishing third to Leprekhan at Wanganui last month, but remained among the outsiders in the Tremains Real Estate Maiden 2100 and settled last early in the hands of Bridget Grylls.
Exiting the straight, Uhtred took control of the race and had several runners off the bit nearing the 800m, where Slick Chick began to improve through the field. Grylls narrowly avoid the fallen I’llberidingshotgun turning for home and set out to chase down Uhtred, who hung on bravely, but was caught in the shadows of the post by Slick Chick.
Grey, who owns and trains the filly out of Cambridge, was rapt with the result after being quietly hopeful in the lead-up.
“It’s taken a while to get there so we’re really pleased to be able to notch up a win for the first time – for the both of us,” he said.
“We were hopeful for today because she ran well at Wanganui, and we found out she prefers the heavy track pretty early on, it was just finding the right distance for her. We just kept stepping her up until she hit the line right, and she’s done that today.
“She always gives me a heart attack by disappearing out the back of the field, so I was watching the wrong end when they were coming down the straight. It was only when she emerged from the field that I realised she was coming, it was just fantastic.
“We would’ve liked to be a bit handier, but that’s just not her, she likes to settle back and work her way into the race. If that’s how she wants to do it, we’re not going to argue.”
Out of a stakes-performing mare Delecta Dreims, Slick Chick was purchased by Grey whilst he was working as a crossing keeper at Cambridge, and she was initially was bound for the sales ring.
“I was working on the gap at Cambridge and the opportunity came up to buy her, she was a weanling at that stage, so I thought I could possibly get her ready for the yearling sales,” he said.
“She was too scrawny for the yearling sales, so we looked at the ready to runs, but she was still too small, so we thought we’d race her instead.”
The filly is the fourth horse to run under Grey’s name, after he took out his training licence in late 2023.
“I’d worked with horses for a long time and a friend of mine asked for help with a difficult racehorse behaviour-wise, so I helped him out and that got me involved,” he said. “From there, I’ve been sucked in like a vortex.
“My other horse, Biedermeier, I worked with a friend (Brent Pinny) and she was trained under his name, and we got a win with her. The other horses under my name have mostly been trained by owners, they’ve just had them at the stables that I’m based in, so I can’t really take credit, I’ve just been more of an overseer.
“I love the training process, I love seeing a horse go from nothing to something, and having their head screwed on the right way when they get to the races. I love riding trackwork, if I could lose a few tonnes, I would be a jockey and ride them at the races as well.
“I can’t do that, so I ride at the track. It’s all about the horses for me.”