Second Dollar

May 16th, 2008 by Amanda Rando

CONNECTIONS of classy mare Second Dollar are hoping her impressive 1:57.7 winning performance at Harold Park last Friday night will help her earn an invitation to the Ladyship Mile.

The daughter of Stature has not stepped foot onto a racetrack in 10 months and still managed to clock a sharp mile rate first-up.

Second Dollar's last start was in the Australian Oaks when she ran second to top New Zealand mare One Dream last July.

Driven by Darren Elder at the Glebe circuit, in the Shaw McDonald Solicitors sponsored event, the pair jumped straight to the front from barrier three and led all the way.

Shortly after the start the in-form Aldebaran, which sat in the 'death' seat, applied pressure with the sectionals posted in 30.4, 30.3, 29.3 and 29.0 seconds.

Both leaders were the fancied runners in the 1760-metre event and rounding the home turn the pair spaced their rivals.

Second Dollar's condition started to fade but she hung on to score by a neck from Aldebaran, with Play The Scene three metres away third.

"With 50 metres to go I thought she was gone but she fought on well," Elder stated.

"I was confident heading into the race because she has had a few trials but all she was lacking is race fitness.

"The race panned out like I thought it would with Aldebaran on my outside making us do a bit of work.

"I'm really happy with how she went tonight because there is plenty of improvement left in her - she is still a bit heavy and her back blew up quite considerably."

Elder and his father-trainer Brian Elder, have been aiming the Group One performer at the invitational Ladyship Mile ever since her three-year-old season.

"We gave her a spell after the Oaks and we wanted to bring her back but EI came around," he explained.

"Due to EI she had a longer holiday than expected and we missed out on the Ladyship Mile anyway.

"Although the spell did her the world of good because she has come back a lot stronger, we are glad to finally get the chance to aim for the race now."

The Cordina Chicken Farms sponsored mares $100,000 event will be one of the seven Group One races to be held on the official opening day of Menangle Park, June 29.

The Elders have had luck with mares in the past, with the likes of Nickalong Sounds, which was a 1:59.1 performer and won almost $60,000 in prizemoney; her foal Juslika, which has clocked 1:55.7 and has won almost $90,000 in stakes; and now their stable star Second Dollar.

"We have always had good luck with mares," Brian claimed.

"I prefer training mares - Juslika and Second Dollar have both been track record holders at Newcastle.

"I'm lucky because I always tend to have a handy horse in the stable but Second Dollar is the best."

The father and son duo train a mid-sized team at Louth Park near Maitland in New South Wales' Hunter District.

"Training horses is all a family effort," Elder (Darren) said.

"Dad and I are best mates and my wife and kids are the best supporters around - I couldn't do it without them."

Second Dollar now sits on a record of 17 wins and 13 placings from 40 starts and is about to crack the $200,000 mark in prizemoney.