Daughter of Windsor Park's Shamexpress lands Cuddle Stakes
Having taken out the RC J Swap Contractors Sprint Handicap (Gr 3, 1400m) on December 12, the Robbie Paterson-trained Coventina Bay (5 m Shamexpress - Coventina by High Chaparral) added a second Group 3 to her CV when she took out the Cuddle Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.
Coventina Bay was placed behind the leaders by Sam Collett in the early part of the contest. After finding daylight at the 300 metre mark the mare looked to have the race in the bag, but Jessiegee (Alamosa) went with the mare and eventually finished a head away in second. Mohaka (Nadeem) was a further length and three-quarters away in third.
With this latest victory, Coventina Bay has now eight of her 13 starts, which has seen accrue NZ$173,700 in career prize-money.
The mare will now be aimed at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 600m) at Te Aroha on April 10.
“She was a bit fresh today as she was nine kilograms heavier than when she won last time,” Patterson said.
“Her Melbourne Cup is the Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha, but I’m proud of her and she is just a little machine.
“She has had a lot of problems and they hurt her early on, but we’ve fixed them now and she’s good.”
Out of three time-winning mare Coventina, Coventina Bay becomes the first stakes winner in two generations of her pedigree and she hails from the same family as 1992 New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Nimue (Star Way) and Group 3 winner Deane Martin (Keeper).
Coventina Bay joins fellow Group 3 winner Embrace Me and stakes-winning trio London Express, Cyber Attack and Qiji Express as the Shamexpress’ other stakes winners.
