Le Sol shines after clever gear changes

BY JAMIE SEARLE

Gear changes played a part in Le Sol's record-breaking win in the Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham on Saturday.

Le Sol unwound quickly to beat favourite Terror To Love by a neck in 1min 54.3sec (one mile). The time bettered Tribute's 2004 track record by 0.6sec.

Adding removable ear plugs and letting his hopples out three holes had helped Le Sol, Lorneville trainer Tony Stratford said.

"The ear plugs have made the biggest difference. They've made him relax," he said.

The gear changes were done after Le Sol broke and lost his chance early in a $30,000 Young Guns Heat at Ascot Park on January 14.

In his next start, he was unlucky not to win against his age at Winton on February 12. Le Sol raced without cover mostly and finished second in 1:56.6 (one mile).

Dexter Dunn drove the McArdle gelding in Saturday's group three $30,000 classic.

"We didn't do any work early," Dunn said.

"We got on to (driver) Clark Barron's back and followed him round the bend. He (Le Sol) found the line great."

Le Sol is owned by Ian and Joyce Wilson, of Winton, and their children, Richard, of Wellington, Joanne, of Gore, and Karen, of Ireland.

Ian Wilson bought Le Sol at the yearling sales in Christchurch. His dam, She Sizzles, is a granddaughter of New Zealand Oaks winner In Or Out (12 wins).

She Sizzles is a half-sister to In The Way (five wins), True Lies (five wins) and Tizaway Tiz (five wins).

Kindergarten Stakes runner-up Terror To Love is co-trained by Graham Court, of West Melton. Court trained In The Way, True Lies and Tizaway Tiz.

He trains Terror To Love in partnership with his son Paul.

On Saturday, Terror To Love, driven by Jim Curtin, paced roughly when leading 150m out. He paced roughly again before breaking about 10m off the line.

"If he hadn't put in the second one (bobble), he would have held on," Curtin said of Terror To Love.

Paul Court said the juvenile's hopples were measured after the race and found to be "one inch" (2.54cm) longer than what they should have been.

The lightweight hopples could have softened and stretched in the warm temperatures at Wyndham.

Paul Court's father-in-law, Greg Swanson, of Toronto, was on course to see his horse, Motu Star Of Pacific win the Marshall Industries Ltd Pace.

- © Fairfax NZ News