Penny Black Too Strong In The Lombardo

New Zealand-bred mare Penny Black (NZ) (Sweet Lou) continues to go from strength to strength in Western Australia, posting her 17th win in the Golden State in the Group Three The Lombardo (2130m) at Gloucester Park last Friday. 

In the hands of regular driver Emily Suvaljko, Penny Black was sent forward from her wide draw, but there was too much speed inside her and she was posted three-wide in the early stages. Undeterred, Suvaljko continued to press forward and found the parked position with two laps to go.

Suvaljko was content to sit outside leader Sugar Delight (Bettor’s Delight) before applying pressure from the 400m, and while Sugar Delight hung tough, she finally conceded in the final 50m, with Penny Black going on to score by 1.2m over Alta Allure (Alta Christiano).

“She is just so tough, she is big and powerful and has a really big heart as well,” Suvaljko said.

“Voaky (Chris Voak, driver of Sugar Delight) was trying to set it up, we were running along and she is just an incredible horse to drive.

“I was a bit worried about the one on the leader’s back and the one on my back as well but I knew she would be fitter this week than she was last week and she didn’t peak halfway up the straight like last week, so she has definitely come on from that run.”

Penny Black was offered through Dunvegan Lodge’s 2021 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft at Christchurch where she was passed in after failing to reach her $10,000 reserve.

She was subsequently entrusted to the care of Pukekohe trainer Jeremy Young before being sold to her current ownership group following her maiden win at Alexandra Park in December, 2023.

She made an instant impact in Western Australia, winning her first six starts, and she has continued to flourish, having now won 18, including seven at stakes level for trainer Michael Young, and has earned north of A$430,000 in prizemoney.