Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Promising four-year-old The Amber Hare is continuing to impress and is looming as a strong contender for the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic and the $150,000 Mares Classic next month.
Starting the second fancy at $6.70, The Amber Hare gave a spirited display in the breeze before getting up in the final stages to snatch a head victory over the pacemaker and $1.780 favourite Three Rumours in the 2130m Farmer Wants A Wife On 7 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Amber Hare started out wide at barrier seven and her trainer Jocelyn Young drove aggressively in a bid to beat the favourite by sending her forward, three wide, in the early stages to put pressure on Three Rumours.
“I thought that the only way to beat Three Rumours was to outstay her but getting to the breeze she got a bit keen, which was a bit unusual for her,” said Young. “About the 400m I thought we would run second. However, it was probably a combination of The Amber Hare digging in and Three Rumours feeling the pinch that enables us to win.
“I’d love to see The Amber Hare in the big races for the mares. She shows that she is fast enough, so she will be suited in races in which there is a genuine tempo. She would be a chance if she gets out in front or if she doesn’t have to do all the tough work. She is progressing nicely.”
The Amber Hare won once from five starts in New South Wales and her 11 starts in WA have produced seven wins and three seconds.
She is by former star pacer For A Reason and is the seventh foal out of the unraced Blissfull Hall mare Amber Bliss. For A Reason raced 64 times for 27 wins, 17 placings and stakes of $1,111,470. He was retired after his final four starts were in Western Australia in November and December 2015 when he was unplaced in the Don Randall Cup at Pinjarra and in three heats of the Interdominion Championship.
For A Reason won the 2010 New South Wales and Queensland Derbies and finished third behind Beautide in the Interdominion Championship finals at Menangle early in 2014 and 2015.