Penpel puts the writing on the wall at Warwick Farm races
Penpel has emerged as a serious spring contender after a dominant maiden victory at Warwick Farm, confirming the high expectations from jockey Adam Hyeronimus. The Marc Conners-trained filly produced a sharp finish to win the TAB Handicap (1100m) by three lengths on Wednesday.
After a strong second on debut behind Agarwood, Penpel showed further improvement in her second outing. Purchased for just $20,000, she has already proven to be a valuable addition to the stable.
“She raced well first time out and I was very confident she’d be able to win today,” Hyeronimus said.
“I have been very keen to let the stable know I wanted to ride her wherever she went because I think she is a horse with a lot of ability.
“She is a big two-year-old filly, but she will strengthen up a lot more, I think.”
The filly had been on Conners’ radar for some time, with her impressive stride and temperament catching the stable's eye early in her education. Held back last spring, her delayed debut has clearly benefited her development.
“She is a really nice filly. We’ve had a lot of time for her for a long time and she put the writing on the wall the other day,” Conners said.
“With that run under her belt today she was really switched on and did everything right.
“For a two-year-old filly, she has got a massive stride on her and that’s the thing we picked up early on with her. She is hot, she’s a chestnut filly, but she definitely got the job done today.”
Conners confirmed that Penpel will be spelled immediately with the spring campaign in mind. The goal is to stretch her out in trip and target suitable three-year-old races.
“For three-year-old fillies in the spring, there are so many options. She’s got the job done now so we’ll put her away,” he said.
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