Four-year-old mare Good Banter was back in the winner’s circle when narrowly prevailing in the Catanach's Jewellers Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
The daughter of Tavistock hadn’t greeted the judge first since her triumph in the Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) in April of last year but had shown positive signs in trackwork before her success on the improving Soft 7 surface.
Ridden by Dylan Gibbons, Good Banter settled just forward of midfield and enjoyed a clear passage despite ducking in late to get the better of Cormac T to score by a neck.
“She has been going so well at home and hadn’t quite reflected that on the track but she got a good ride today from Dylan and she did a good job to get herself back in the winner’s stall,” O’Shea said.
“She has been a mare a long time out of the winner’s stall and had probably forgotten how to do it and it will do her the world of good.
We had been so happy with her at home and we needed her to bring that A-game to the races, and she has done that today.”
In-form rider Dylan Gibbons was pleased with the position he was able to find in the run.
“My only concern with her today was I didn’t want to land too far back, and I was able to land three-back,” he said.
“Ideally, I wanted the fence but the tempo was beautiful, we coped no pressure from back and it was just a matter of getting her around the corner.
“I didn’t want to surge too soon and when no one stopped, she had to be tough today.
“It is good to see a horse who hadn’t won in a while be able to go on with it like she did today, so it was a good effort.
“She will take good confidence from that and I don’t think she really loved how much the track is drying out, so if they get a bit of rain she could easily win again.”
Good Banter was bred by Blandford Lodge’s Helen-Gaye and Graham Bax and is out of the Savabeel mare Danza Kuduro.
Herself a three-time winner on the racetrack, Danza Kuduro is a half-sister to the dual Group One winner Danzdanzdance and the Listed winner Le Gai Soleil, who was also prepared by O’Shea. – NZ Racing Desk
