Begood Toya Mother still has the zest for racing

A luckless eighth at his first run back after a break has Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman enthusiastic for the future with Begood Toya Mother.

Daniel Bowman says he was rapt with the return of Begood Toya Mother at Caulfield which showed the gelding still has the zest for racing.

Begood Toya Mother finished a luckless eighth in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap at Caulfield last Saturday, a run that had Bowman excited for the future.

The Warrnambool-based horseman said Group 1 winner Begood Toya Mother would press on to the Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) at Caulfield on April 24.

“Obviously we weren’t rapt with the result, but with how he went,” Bowman said.

“He zigged when he should have zagged and that was probably the difference between him running eighth, like he did, and being in the finish.

“He ran the fifth quickest last 600 (metres) and that was sitting up for 300 of it.

“It showed the horse was back trying again and has the zest for racing and the work we’ve done and the work Leneva Park has done trying to get him to settle a bit more, it looks like it’s done the job.

“Hopefully we can go on with it a bit more now.”

Bowman said he would now like to get Begood Toya Mother to step a little quicker from the barriers after being slow out in recent efforts.

But what Bowman and rider Declan Bates are wary of is getting Begood Toya Mother over-racing if he does jump slowly.

“He has been stepping a bit slow and Dec doesn’t want to drive him and fire him up because he did that in Sydney before and he got over-racing,” Bowman said.

“Ideally if we can settle midfield, we’ll be right.

“We’ll head to the Anniversary Vase in a couple of weeks and hopefully get back in the winner’s stall.”