The stable targeted the three-day Swan Hill Carnival with a number of runners and with a frustrating run of placings it was finally a well-deserved breakthrough on Day 3 from the ever reliable Heavenly Bridges in the Jarrod Arentz Electrical BM78 Handicap.
With a feather on her back in 50 kilograms with young apprentice and local jockey Zoe Lloyd claiming four, it was an easy watch for those who backed the five-year-old daughter of Unencumbered as she notched up her eighth career win and tipped over $187,000 in prizemoney for her connections.
Top Critic, Riding High, Vistabelle, Gaius, Macconi… the minor placings were adding up and the trip back from Swan Hill to Ballarat was looking rather long before Heavenly Bridges rewarded the hard work of the HDR team and duly saluted in the 975 metre dash.
Looking fresh with a nice close cut, the ride from Lloyd was picture perfect as she jumped from the barriers and took a nice sit behind the two leaders, taking a gap on the turn and winning with relative ease.
“She’s definetely an interesting little mare,” said Lloyd with a smile post-race.
“She jumped a bit crooked, but still pinged the gates, she took a sit pretty well and after that it was just a perfect clear run and she just held on really well.
“I didn’t really even have to pull my whip, just had it there in case,” said Lloyd.
While Heavenly Bridges played up a bit in the mounting yard pre-race, once she was out on track with the clerk of the course, she settled and was very professional behind the gates.
“Another victory for this good little mare,” said Henry.
“She’s done a terrific job from semi-humble beginnings… winning eight races is a pretty neat achievement, with a couple in town and a couple at Swan Hill, she’s certainly done a really good job.
“I always thought that the 975 metre race at Swan Hill really suited her, Zoe rode her really well today, she didn’t panic when she couldn’t lead, she just took a sit in behind them and Heavenly Bridges was good enough to just settle in behind them.
“The gap opened up on the corner, she put herself through and was really strong through the line, with the 50 kilograms clearly a luxury for her and good on Zoe for getting down to that weight,” said Henry.
She now becomes a 74 rater which makes it a tougher assignment next start, with a run in town with another claiming apprentice onboard her most likely target.
With eight career victories now in the bag, connections will feel anything more will be a bonus, but this small bonny mare has a big heart and a will to win so a ninth win surely won’t be far away.