Jockey Kevin Kalychurun jumped the 3yr-old filly quickly from the gates and did not give her rivals a chance to catch her in winning for Riccarton trainers Nicky and Rochelle Lloyd.
"It is pretty special to us because it is our stallion that we stand, Rusty Spur. It is our first runner," Nicky Lloyd said.
The trainers are among four owners who purchased the stallion after he had been standing at Totara Park Stud near Whangarei.
He served his first crop of the Lloyds’ mares more than four years ago and the patient wait until yesterday to get racetrack success looks to be paying off.
"We have always thought a bit of her. There is still a wee way to go, but she will improve."
The trainers’ judgement to also be slightly impatient played an additional part in the win.
"We were going to take her to the trials but we came down here instead.
"We like this Dunedin. We have had a bit of luck here — we might move down," Lloyd joked.
The trainers did not have specific races in mind for Marjorca, but think she will be competitive in higher grades.
"There are a couple of nice 2 and 3yr-old races coming up for her."
Stallion Rusty Spur has four 3yr-olds, six 2yr-olds, six yearlings and six foals on the ground since moving South.
Among those is Izalloyd who debuts in a Pearl Series 2yr-old race tomorrow.
"We have got a 2yr-old in at Riccarton on Saturday and she is pretty fast too."
Patience on a lesser scale played a part in the win of Silvermist in race 4 yesterday.
The Any Suggestion mare signalled a win was not far away with a second behind Mother Superior at Kurow last month.
Trainers Russell and Ashley McKay had to wait until yesterday to find another suitable race after opting not to line up on the very wet West Coast circuit tracks.
"As it panned out, there were not many races for her. We were going to go to the Coast but it was wet and horrible over there, so we elected to come here instead."
Peter Rudkin-trained galloper What A Deeza was in opposite circumstances coming into her win in race 3. The mare had two starts on the soaked West Coast circuit for two third placings.
Jockey Samantha Collett punched the 4yr-old out to a tough win after working hard in the race’s early stages on the comparatively much drier dead4 Wingatui surface.
The Rudkin-Collett combinatation grabbed a Wingtui double after winning yesterday’s final race with Dontpokethetiger.
- Jonny Turner
