Under a perfectly judged ride by apprentice Masa Hashizume, progressive mare Tevere (NZ) (Contributor) added an open class victory to her burgeoning record at Ellerslie on Sunday.

Set to carry 54kgs for her first open class assignment, Tevere benefitted further by Hashizume’s 2kg allowance to carry a luxurious 52kg in her first race since a classy victory over 1200m at Te Rapa back in December.

Out well from barrier three, Tevere chased genuine early pace in sixth before Hashizume opted to follow the rail when the opportunity arose at 800m. The ground saving move paid dividends when Tevere was able to slide off the fence rounding the home turn before running home strongly to beat stakes placed sprinter Run to Perfection (Sepoy).

“Michael (McNab) loves her and had been riding her well, but he was suspended and Masa (Hashizume) was the only one that rang for the ride,” trainer Pam Gerard said.

“I thought another two-kilos off is not a bad idea and I think he rides really well, actually. He rides Ellerslie well and has a good mental approach, guided by Grant Cooksley and he certainly knows what he’s doing.

“Depending how she comes through it, we could look toward the Westbury Classic (Gr.2, 1400m) or Concorde Handicap (Gr.3, 1200m) on Karaka Million night.

“Otherwise, the BCD Group Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) back at Te Rapa on 12 February, although it could be a bit early to tackle weight-for-age with her.”