Ears Back returns to happy hunting ground

Canterbury mare Ears Back’s best form has been in the North Island this year, and she has crossed the Cook Strait once more to try to add to her stakes haul.

The seven-year-old daughter of Jakkalberry recorded her first black-type win in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui in May and doubled her stakes tally when taking out the G3 Metric Mile (1600m) at Trentham in September.

She subsequently posted two unplaced runs in her home region, however, Blackadder said she did have her excuses for finishing last in the G3 TAB Mile (1600m) last month, and he was buoyed by her trial win over 1200m at Ashburton last week, which cemented her trip north.

“Her last race she wasn’t very well and heavily in season,” Blackadder said.

“She had a very good trial last week at Ashburton. I had to give her that trial, and with Our Echo in it, it gave me a good gauge of where we were at with her.”

Ears Back has made her way north to Suzy Gordon’s Foxton barn where she has settled in well and Blackadder said he has received positive reports on her work ahead of Saturday’s G1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham.

“She is at Suzy Gordon’s at the moment and she is very relaxed up there,” Blackadder said. “As long as they are happy and eating up you can’t ask for anymore.

“It is a big ask for her obviously, but she is working well and galloped well on Tuesday.”

 – NZ Racing Desk