Levante holds Roch ‘N’ Horse for rich first Group One win

High-class mare Levante broke through for a deserved Group One victory in a heart-stopping finish to the $250,000 Berkett Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham yesterday.

The five-year-old daughter of Proisir went into the sprint as an eight-race winner from 13 starts, including the Westbury Classic (1400m) and two editions of the Counties Bowl (1100m).

But a G1 victory had eluded the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained mare, who had previously finished second, third, fourth and fifth at the elite level.

Clashes with high-class Te Akau Racing mares had previously proven to be a Group One stumbling block, beaten by Avantage in three meetings at the elite level, and she was a laststart second to Entriviere in the G1 Railway Stakes (1200m) on New Year’s Day.

It was widely expected to be more of the same with Entriviere an overpowering $1.60 favourite, but this time Levante turned the tables.

Ridden by Ryan Elliot, Levante was a world away from her old habit of costly tardiness at the start. This time she broke sharply from gate five and took up a prominent position on the heels of the front-running Ocean Point and Tavi Mac.

Levante went for gold at the top of the straight, and with

Entriviere getting no closer than fifth after being last to straighten for home, it began to look like this might be Levante’s day.

But another Matamata mare had other ideas. Roch ‘N’ Horse burst out of the pack and drew up alongside Levante, the lead changing with every stride through the last 50m as the pair fought out a pulsating finish. They hit the line locked together, with more than two lengths back to the third-placed Mascarpone.

After an anxious wait, there was a roar from the Trentham crowd as Levante was declared a deserving G1 winner by a nose. The head-turning time for the 1200m of 1:06.18 is being claimed by the club as an unofficial world record.

‘‘That wasn’t too good for the

heart,’’ said Ken Kelso. ‘‘But this is a huge result. She’s a wonderful mare with such a great temperament and will to win. She’s an absolute dream to train.’’

The Wellington Guineas (1400m) was a sink-or-swim moment for unbeaten three-yearold Shamus, and he rose to the challenge in superb style.

Trained by Allan Sharrock in New Plymouth for his long-time clients Noel and Ron Stanley, the son of Shamexpress had made a big impression with dominant victories in each of his first three appearances.

But the Guineas was on a different level to anything he had come up against before, and he stormed home to win out wide for rider Hazel Schofer.