Tribute to Trainer Bev Kelso: Final Words and Racing Legacy
The Final Award and Stable Tribute for Legarto
The poignant moment occurred after Bev Kelso had been hospitalized since a Tuesday, with her husband Ken Kelso bringing the winner’s plaque to her bedside on Friday. Legarto had secured the Matamata Horse of the Year honor at the local region’s annual awards ceremony held on Thursday night.
“Legarto would have been the best of them though, just ahead of Levante,” Ken Kelso said regarding the caliber of horses that passed through their stable. Ken Kelso confirmed that their sprinting mare Alabama Lass will maintain her entry in the upcoming $400,000 Proisir Plate at Ellerslie. “Bev would have wanted that and me to go on training,” he noted.
Proisir Plate Field Takes Shape at Ellerslie
Heading into the first Group 1 feature of the new season, race organizers and trainers are finalizing acceptances for Saturday’s $400,000 weight-for-age contest at Ellerslie. Trainer Pam Gerard indicated that Affirmative Action is almost certain to be withdrawn from the Proisir Plate. According to Gerard, the 4-year-old gelding and last season’s 2000 Guineas runner-up gains very little competitive advantage from the weight-for-age scale early in the spring term.
“It sounds mad to say you don’t want to start when he is eligible for a $500,000 bonus but I just don’t think he can win it,” Gerard said, pointing out the disadvantage young male horses face against seasoned open-grade runners like Alabama Lass, who boasts Group 1 placings in Australia. The potential withdrawal of Affirmative Action clears the path for other contenders in the order of entry. Stephen Marsh’s stable stands to benefit, as Tardelli—sitting 17th in the order of entry—now secures a start, bringing Marsh’s total runners in the feature to three.
Market indicators from TAB futures list Well Written as the $1.80 favorite following an impressive trackwork session at Ellerslie, well ahead of Alabama Lass and First Five at $6. Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox addressed scheduling considerations for the afternoon fixture, noting that the 1400m weight-for-age race set for 4.34pm will run in close proximity to the New Zealand Warriors’ regular-season finale against the Manly Sea Eagles just down the road in Penrose.
“We realise we have a lot of racing fans who will be intently interested in the Warriors game so we will have the bar open so people can stay on to watch it here and also keep an eye on the Australian races after our last race,” Wilcox said.
Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.