Lightly raced Fortysecondstreet posted a well-deserved maiden win when she proved too strong in the closing stages of an 1100m contest at the Gold Coast.
Prepared by Stuart Kendrick and partnered by inform jockey Ben Thompson, the daughter of Written Tycoon showed grit to surge late and defeat her rivals by just under a length, rewarding supporters who were happy to take the $11 on offer on Friday evening (May 22).
The win marked an important turning point for the four-year-old mare, who has shown flashes of ability in her previous outings, but had been unable to convert promise into results.
On Friday, however, a change in tactics proved decisive.
Rather than pushing forward early, Thompson settled Fortysecondstreet off the speed, allowing her to find rhythm before unleashing a strong finishing burst in the straight that ultimately proved too much for her opposition.
Kendrick said the result vindicated both the horse’s ability and the stable’s patience. “It was an impressive win,” Kendrick said.
“She just had no luck last start and was a good thing beaten her first couple of runs after we got her.”
Kendrick explained that early attempts to ride the filly prominently had not yielded the desired outcome, prompting a rethink that paid immediate dividends. “She was ridden on speed and just didn’t finish off, so we’ve decided to ride her off the speed and she’s really been hitting the line well,” he said.
That change in racing pattern was evident throughout Friday’s contest, with Fortysecondstreet travelling comfortably behind the leaders before producing a sustained run in the final 200 metres.
Importantly, Kendrick believes the mare has continued to improve since joining his Queensland yard, crediting the change in environment for her progression.
“She has thrived in Queensland and hopefully we’ll get another win or two in her before going to stud,” he said.