IDLE Shiver broke through at her 10th start yesterday.
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The Michelle Fleming- trained four-year-old mare, a daughter of Dane Fever, surged between Jesse Canyon and Regarding Henry to claim yesterday’s Corey’s Catering Maiden Plate (1000m) by a nose from Steve Farley’s Regarding Henry.
Craig Martin’s Jesse Canyon made an impressive debut, jumping from barrier 10 to be beaten a half length into third.
Fleming prepares Idle Shiver at Moonbi and had seen the mare finish second and third at her two most recent outings.
“I’m over the moon,” she said yesterday.
“She’s been knocking on the door but drew wide (14) today in a race with a couple of toughies.
“I thought she could do it and thought the little bit of experience she had would help her.
“She was spot on today after running over 1200m and came back to 1000m well.”
Fleming has four in work, with Dimensional racing in yesterday’s sixth race while Jurassic Star will race at Armidale next Monday.
Jurassic Star was one of 15 nominations for Monday’s 1100m benchmark 50 handicap on a day which attracted 86 nominations.
The two feature races, an open 1300m and a 1900m benchmark 65 received just seven and eight nominations respectively and have been extended until 11am along with a 1300m Class 2 Plate, Armidale secretary Jim Dedes said.
“We should pick up a few more noms in all three,” he said.
“They will be part of a good day.
“I’ve been out on the tractor all morning mowing the grass.
“The track looks picturesque. You can’t beat rain.
“I’ve never seen the grass coverage so lush. I started mowing at 9am – I usually knock it over in three hours but I’ve just knocked off,” he said about 1.35pm yesterday.
Tamworth trainer Sue Grills said Usain Prince would be a starter at Armidale after pulling up well in his first run back on Armidale Cup day.
She said he was caught wide throughout in the Armidale Newmarket when sixth to Tableaux.