Hawkesbury trainer Jason Attard couldn’t believe his eyes when Kiarra Rose was 61 lengths behind the winner at Kembla Grange in March.
But when his mare returned home with a large black eye from a mid-race mishap, Attard kept her preparation in full swing and was rewarded for his patience when she delivered a knockout blow to her rivals in the final race at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Ridden perfectly by South African expatriate Keagan Latham, who has formed a special relationship with the daughter of Testa Rossa, Kiarra Rose won her fourth race from twenty-four starts and took her prizemoney to just over $90,000 for her delighted connections.
“Thankfully, she recovered quickly from the injury sustained at Kembla Grange and is now at her peak,” said Attard after the race.
“Keagan (Latham) understands the mare and rides her so well.”
Kiarra Rose has a dedicated band of owners who have a Twitter account for her and were delighted with her comeback victory on her home track.
“We didn’t give up hope after her Kembla defeat and knew she could bounce back,” said part-owner Deb Pearce, who thought Kiarra Rose had a few more wins in her yet.
Hawkesbury will race again on Sunday June 10 hosting a family fun day raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House at Westmead.
