\u201cEvery day is hard, but it is what it is.\u201d <\/p>\n
In her second day back at the races, Leitrim Lad was Farr\u2019s sole ride and he closed a $3.60 favourite, despite mixing his jumping and retiring from the race in last Saturday\u2019s Waikato Steeplechase (3900m). <\/p>\n
With his ears pricked, Leitrim Lad went straight to the lead in the early stages and shared that role with Jakama Krystal, before she took over heading into the second lap. Farr was wary of letting the leader get away, and the pair broke away from the remainder on the field along the back stretch. <\/p>\n
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n The pack started to catch up and the race was on in the home straight, but as an 11-race winner and stakes performer on the flat, Leitrim Lad was always going to be hard to catch. Once he negotiated the final fence safely, he proved too strong, holding off Zac Flash to score by three-quarters of a length. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got an amazing, high cruising speed that he\u2019s shown in all of his flat races, and the tempo of a race is very important with him,\u201d Farr said. \u201cHe needs to get out and rolling and enjoying himself, because he is a bit of an old man. <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to let Krystal get too far in front because I know her pretty well too, and she\u2019s good mare. I knew with his pace on the flat, he would be there and he jumped so well. He\u2019s learned a lot since I last rode him and I\u2019m glad he stuck on as well as he did.\u201d <\/p>\n The son of Tavistock has earned just shy of $310,000 for breeder-owner Eamonn Green, who trains him out of Pukekohe Park. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate to have three wins on him, I won a highweight on him in his early days, then his first steeplechase, and now I\u2019ve won on him again today,\u201d Farr said. \u201cI can\u2019t thank Eamonn and Kenny Rae enough for putting me back on, especially after having such a long time away. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a really cool dude.\u201d<\/p>\n The result was welcomed after a disappointing outcome at Te Rapa last Saturday, where she was dislodged early in the race from Zeefa Zed in a drama-filled maiden steeplechase. <\/p>\n \u201cZeefa Zed has always been one of my favourite horses, so for him to make a little mistake and cause carnage later on was not the comeback I was hoping for,\u201d she said. \u201cBut, these things happen and I know John Wheeler (trainer) will have him back and stronger for Wellington. <\/p>\n \u201cIt happened, you get over it and you build from it. Having the opportunity to ride Leitrim Lad today gave me a lot of confidence, and showed me that I really still want to do this and achieve my 100 winners. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m now on 97 so we\u2019re almost there, it\u2019s something I\u2019d like to achieve because I promised my father that I\u2019d get there before I retire. <\/p>\n