Thursday, 14 June 2012: Trainer Ian Savins' belief that his mare Blissful Honour is a stayer in the making will be put to the test in the Muwil;lumbah Cup Preview at Grafton on Friday.
Blissful Honour 
has not won beyond 1610m in 27 career starts but that statistic does not deter the Casino-based Savins and is confident she will handle the extra distance when she tackles 2120m in the Cup Preview.
“She'll run it out, no trouble," he said.
“She's done enough work to go the distance and she flew home last time.”
The four year old finished just behind the placegetters at her most recent outing in the Casino Beef Week Cup over 1400m, a noteworthy run in a quality field.
While she has been placed up to 1800m her only run over more ground saw her well beaten at Eagle Farm in March when she raced up on the pace, tactics Savins feels are not to hetr best advantage.
“She went out over 2200m but she was ridden upside down and finished well back," he said.
“We'll put her to sleep this time, and that's where she should be.
“I've always thought she'd make a nice stayer ever since we tried her as a two-year-old but she was getting run off her legs until she won a maiden at Grafton over 1600 metres.”
“She needed time to mature because she was raw bone and gangly but she's filled-out now.”
Savins said Blissful Honour will be racing for a tilt at Sunday week's $28,250 Casella Wines Murwillumbah Cup in Sunday's lead-up.
Meanwhile Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn is heading to the Grafton meeting with high hopes for his debutante filly
Yarrum .
Dunn is confident the 1200m maiden event at the transferred Ballina Jockey Club meeting is an ideal starting point for the daughter of Ferocity.
Yarrum displayed her ability when the three-year-old won a 875m trial at Ballina by four lengths on May 19.
“She led and trialled good,” Dunn confirmed.
“I've been pleased with the way she's trained on.”
“She has since galloped with a Class 3 horse and worked better. That sort of work should stand her in good stead.
“I was going to give her another trial at the Gold Coast but it got washed out so she can kick off at Grafton."
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