Charlotte Littlefield admits that where were times when she thought training racehorses was not the job for her, but achieving a career peak at Christmas time has delivered her brightest moment in her short career to-date.
It may not have been a springtime or even autumn stakes race let alone a carnival victory, but Regal Vow’s game effort to win the Listed Lord Stakes (1800m) on Boxing Day at Caulfield Heath brought Littlefield to just short of tears as she cracked a long-awaited aspiration to win at black-type level.
“I’m a little bit speechless,” Littlefield said.
“For the mare to do that, it feels like things have started to come together.
“We had a rough few years there and I doubted whether I ever should have been training as I was going so poorly.
“That is ridiculous.”
With the stable thinking that softer ground would be suitable, Regal Vow ($4.80) came off a disappointing run on a rain affected track on the main Caulfield track in the Group 3 Summond Stakes (1600m) last month.
Patience and time before this preparation had allowed the five-year-old to handle firmer surfaces, Littlefield said.
Littlefield saddled her first runner in December 2014 and took 14 days to register her first winner.
Nine years later, and five days after achieving a career highlight with Modown’s win in the VOBIS Gold Bullion (1400m) at Pakenham last Saturday, she broke the stakes-race barrier after more than 1000 starters – hence the emotion.
“We came here hoping to snag some black-type and she’s a mare that we own a large portion of,” Charlotte added.
“We’re looking forward to her journey as a broodmare.
Regal Vow outstayed her rivals to the line beating $2.80 online bookmakers favourite Marble Arch by neck-margin with former Caulfield Guineas placegetter Military Expert ($21) in third.
Craig Williams notched his second winner of the day in the Lord Stakes after steering the Robbie Laing-trained Castella to victory earlier on the card.
