A change in riding tactics and the addition of a Norton bit have proved beneficial for flighty mare Roadacious.
Prepared by Donna Scott at Albury, the former Victorian-trained four-year-old lines up for back-to-back wins on her home track in Saturday’s GPE Electrical & Communications Class 2 Hcp (900m).
Scott added a Norton bit and tongue tie to Roadacious’ gear and elected for the mare to be ridden more quietly prior to her last-start 3-1/2-length romp in a 1000m Benchmark 55 event at Gundagai on September 19.
“She’s a mare that has had wind problems, a throat operation, and she just wanted to jump and run at 100 miles an hour,” Scott said.
“She was running on fear, not breathing.
“We fiddled around with different gear and decided to try and get her to settle in behind the pace rather than leading.
“It worked well at Gundagai.”
Part of Scott’s restructure has included sending another horse out hard in trackwork and allowing Roadacious to chase.
The mare, previously trained by Leon Corstens, was purchased by a syndicate headed by Melbourne-based Mitchell Beer.
Roadacious scored first-up for Scott over 950m at Berrigan on August 27 when she led and fell in by a nose.
Prior to the Gundagai win, Roadacious again led but was found wanting over the latter stages when ninth to Club Zero over 1000m at Wagga on September 5.
“We’re trying to teach her to settle,” Scott said.
“As a jump-and-run horse she’s left a sitting duck.
“If she can learn to settle, we’re going to have plenty of fun with her.
“Hopefully we’ve now found the key.
“She’s a lovely type, got some pedigree behind her, a good-sized mare who eats well and nothing seems to faze her.
“And she’s strong too.
“Since Gundagai she’s been as good as gold, pulled up a treat.
“There looks to be a bit of pace tomorrow. Hopefully, she can take a sit and run on strongly.”
Roadacious has drawn barrier two and will be ridden by two-kilogram claiming apprentice Ashlee Beer.
AAP TURF