Matt Craven drives Tellus Rodney to a third victory at Horsham.
Long-time Tyrendarra owner-breeders Allan and Gaye Donovan always knew in Tellus Rodney they had something big on their hands, they just didn’t know if it would translate to the track.
But in Terang trainer-driver Matt Craven’s care, patience has been rewarded and the Donovans have another talented type to cheer on.
“He’s such a big horse,” Donovan said. “He is 16 and a half hands, we broke him in early and jogged him up a couple of times, but just gave him plenty of time to mature.”
The five-year-old’s notched up four starts thus far in his first campaign, which have yielded three victories and a third.
They are particularly sweet results for the Donovans, given Tellus Rodney has been some time in the making. With Peter and Sandra Bryant, the Donovans purchased a yearling, Tell You What, whose 35 starts delivered three wins and $8,318 in stakes. She was retired as a six-year-old and produced two fillies – Quietlykept (12 starts, 0 wins) and Tellmelucy (46 starts, two wins) – before in October 23, 2009, she was sent to Alabar stallion Elsu. Come October 14, 2010, a young foal was born, who would become Tellus Rodney.
“He has only had two programs with Matt, the first time he was a good pacer to three-quarter pace and then he would lose it,” Donovan said. “This time in he has been in work since October and he only really saw the light about a month before his first race.
“We had to be patient, because he didn’t show us much. But he has a terrific temperament. At the races, he knows what it is all about, but he is also a very good-natured horse.”
Tellus Rodney won on debut at Hamilton on April 20 when he won by 20m after launching from the gates and leading. Start two, at Ballarat eight days later, produced further success, with Craven squeezing Tellus Rodney (a $1.40 favourite) through a gap in the straight to win by 3.2m.
Race three brought a third placing, when Tellus Rodney had a great battle with Kevin Brough’s Heywood hope Hooper Road only to have Kerryn Manning’s Dana Dynasty mow them both down. Tellus Rodney then made amends at Horsham on Monday, finding the front from barrier six to lead and win by 8.6m, with Hooper Road running third.
“We never expected him to go as good as this,” Donovan said. “We would like to think he might get through and win a M0 or a couple of races in town. He’s had plenty of time to mature and should only get stronger, having had very little racing.”
And the camp’s excitement doesn’t end there. Another Donovan runner in work, Roy George, is on the verge of returning. The six-year-old gelding by Grinfromeartoear out of Classic Malibu has produced eight wins and three seconds from 13 starts.
His next campaign could be a belter, having raced on March 28 at Mt Gambier for what was considered a trial, albeit in race conditions. Roy George proceeded to break the track record over 2190m and relegate highly rated stablemate, Changing Code, to second. While a cold put his return on hold, Roy George is back in work and will soon be running again.
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Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
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