Lean Time Ends For Rowe
The wins had been few and far between for Stephen Rowe, but the future looks a lot more promising if Beauty Kanas is anything to go by.
Beauty Kanas broke a year long drought for Rowe when she fought off a strong challenge to win the Heineken 3 Handicap (1200m) at Ascot on Wednesday.
Posting her first Perth win since she transferred from David Payne’s Sydney stable, Beauty Kanas defeated Roadrager by a head with Akavit third.
Beauty Kanas was Rowe’s big hope and stable flag bearer in 2019, but with one placing from her first six starts, she didn’t reach expected heights.
A daughter of So You Think, the five-year-old’s breakthrough success gave Rowe his first win since Picasso Bay won at Pinjarra on January 2.
Rowe said it was a timely victory for his stable.
“It’s been a very dry spell and we haven’t had a lot of luck, but I think it’s fair to say this mare should have won one or maybe two races last preparation,” Rowe told The Races WA.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and we decided to give her a short break after her last run and bring her back fresh for today (Wednesday).
“It was a drop back to mid-week company and back to the 1200m and it looks like it has paid off for us.”
Beauty Kanas won two races from 17 starts at Gosford and Kensington and completed her first campaign under Rowe in October.
Rowe credited a change of training tactics ahead of her second campaign under his guidance as the catalyst for a form reversal.
“I decided to train her completely different this time,” Rowe said.
“I hardly gave her any galloping at all and I did a lot in the pool with her.
“She basically does a lot of slow pace work and conditioning on the track.”
Rowe is adamant Beauty Kanas has the potential to keep on improving after shedding her maiden tag in Perth.
The respected horseman is confident his high opinion of Beauty Kanas will be validated in forthcoming weeks.
“I honestly think the horse is a decent quality Saturday horse,” Rowe said
“To be honest when I initially got her if she had come up nicely in her first two or three runs at Belmont like I wanted I was going to set her for the fillies and mares’ series.
“She proved she could win at 1200m, she is definitely a 1400 horse, has won over the mile and I reckon you could stretch her out to 1800m.
“That fillies and mares’ series was ideal for her, but it didn’t work out, so we will continue to do what we’re doing and try and knock off some more of these smaller fish.”
Rowe admitted a long stretch between victories had tested his resolve, but he got though the lean times with the support of a loyal stable client.
“I want to give special thanks to Ross McCaffrey who is my number one owner,” Rowe said.
“You have no idea how much support he gives me.
“He has been with me a long, long time and supports me really, really well.
“He is a fabulous man and I can’t talk enough about him.”
Julio Santarelli