The all-consuming nature of working with racehorses got a little bit harder for trainer David Pfieffer when his second child decided to arrive the night before his stable star faced her toughest test.
Pfieffer’s partner Lizzie gave birth to their son on the eve of the Myer Classic in which Denmagic put in a career-best effort to finish third in the Group One race at Flemington.
The addition to their family prevented the proud father-of-two travelling to Melbourne and did nothing to lighten his workload.
“It’s been hectic lately. It’s been a hard slog,” Pfieffer said.
“I had my foreman in Melbourne looking after Denmagic so I’ve had a fair bit to do in the barn as well as stay on top of everything.”
But the hard work has been paying off.
Aside from Denmagic’s gallant performances in Victoria which also netted two Group Two fourths, Ziggie Willie won the $80,000 feature at Canterbury on Friday night and the stable has Dixie Chick and Chestnut Road set to race at Rosehill on Saturday.
Pfieffer is leaning towards the the fillies and mares’ benchmark handicap over 1400m, rather than the 1200m race for Dixie Chick.
Dixie Chick was strong first-up when she flashed home late to grab second at Warwick Farm on September 21, but has encountered bad luck in two unplaced Saturday runs since.
“I think she’s a horse that will probably be contending at stakes level,” Pfieffer said.
“She probably deserves to have a few more wins next to her name.”
Pfieffer has booked Tye Angland for the 1400m race, while Tim Clark is on stand-by to ride if she starts over the shorter course.
“You’d like to think she’ll be a bit closer settling in the run and still have that great turn of foot at the end,” Pfieffer said.
Seven-year-old stablemate Chestnut Road, whose career has been restricted by injury, is entered in the colts, geldings and entires’ benchmark handicap over 1400m.
“He’s a horse that is better suited when he’s on top of the ground as opposed to most horses who have had issues,” Pfieffer said.
Meanwhile Denmagic has gone to the paddock, with Pfieffer nominating the Coolmore Classic, Queen Of The Turf and the Doncaster Mile as potential Group One targets.
One of her Melbourne fourths was in the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m) on November 5, but Pfieffer said she was likely to race between 1200 and 1600m during autumn.
