But not now.
Because at Ararat on Thursday, Super Quick Love proved she was exactly that – and trainer Rhys Archard loved it, giving a couple of fist pumps as he made his way to the mounting yard to meet SQL, formerly known as the maiden.
With Dean Holland in the saddle (after SQL made it off the emergency list courtesy of four scratchings) for the $23,000 Ararat Farm Supplies Plate over 2000 m, the 15-start loser was actually attracting significant interest from the punters; backed in from $7.50 to $5.50 at the jump.
However, if you had the mortgage payment riding on the lightly built mare you could be excused from a severe case of the palpitations when by the 1000 m mark SQL had a lock on finishing in the last three horses in the field of 11.
Then as they headed into the turn out of the back straight, SQL decided it was finally time to deliver for some very patient owners and a more than frustrated trainer.
Despite another awkward draw out there in gate 14, Holland quickly had the mare on the rails with just two horses behind her.
And she clung to that rail like a barnacle on steroids for the first 1000 m and then suddenly found a pair of wings and took off.
She corralled the front runners – but had to go as many as eight, or more, wide to find room to run.
Which also meant she was going to be running about another 75-100 m more than everyone else – not a good omen for this perennial bridesmaid (three seconds in her previous five starts).
But this veteran of lost causes overcame a bit of buffeting on the bend, straightened up with attention (after a few suggestive taps from Holland’s persuader) and mowed down everything in front of her, winning on the trot and; for all the world, looking like a regular in the winner’s stall.
A jubilant Archard came out with the day’s ultimate understatement.
“I’m really happy with her, I watched the race live and it looked a pretty decent run from where I stood.”
“She can be hard to ride, and we have had a bit of bad luck, but she got it all right today,” he said, continuing his understatements.
“I am especially very happy for the owners, they have had to be very patient with her as she is a lightly built mare and she has gone shin sore about three times but today has paid off, so fantastic.
“She can travel too keenly sometimes; but she is deep into this prep now; so she is starting to learn to relax – plus we came here looking for a wet track, and it did have a bit of give in it.”
Breaking that maiden has also earned SQL a bit of a holiday, with Archard saying he will probably give her a month off now.
“After that she can come back for the winter; where I reckon she will really thrive,” he added.
“She sort of finished in the same style last week at Benalla; but the jockey said she hit the front and stargazed a bit and when the winner came up on the inside she started chasing again so I was pretty mindful of that – and that today’s leader had a good kick but that my horse would always chase.”
After the race Holland said while the draw was awkward, SQL was always a chance.
“She is ultra-consistent and always knocking on the door,” he said.
“I thought if we could just present her at the finish she would go close because I feel she’s actually got a little bit of turn of foot for a staying race.
“Now she has that win under her belt I think she will come out and win another one soon – she won’t have to improve much to win a 58.”
So long as she stays super quick.
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