Ashburton Trainer Paul Gadsby always seems to make the most of his limited opportunities and the classy Var filly Miss Varlicious is the latest good horse he has taken through the ranks with aplomb, despite difficult circumstances.

Gadsby wanted her to be roundabout a five-time winner before asking her to race at the highest level, but faced a problem because the handicapper always seemed to be on top of her.

He said, “The handicapper never made her one of the line horses despite her, as far as I’m concerned, being the most consistent horse in KZN.”

She was thus already on a 91 merit rating after her second win and later gained further increases for a couple of placed runs in handicaps.

Gadsby said, “It has been a helluva battle for us to place her and we have had to keep her well for extended periods.”

However, the yard can now breathe a sigh of relief having got her the fifth win at just the right time, on 21 February over 1200m on the Greyville poly.

Her target is now the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint on June 4 over 1200m at Scottsville.

Gadsby has sent her for a deserved “mini break” to Jill Fox’s The Fort Stud, where the yard rest all of their horses.

He said, “I am no longer worried about her merit rating. I think she’s had a very nice prep as it has allowed us to fit in the break before bringing her back to prepare for the Fillies Sprint.”

This is former jockey Gadsby’s second stint as a trainer and although he is still looking for another San Carlos, whom he trained to 15 wins including a Gr 1 in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he and his wife and assistant Beth have always done well with the few decent horses they have had.

They took Black Wing from a cheap farm purchase, who had not received a bid at any Sale, to a runner in the Vodacom Durban July in just the second year of Gadsby’s second stint as a trainer. Then Candy Moon was nurtured to six wins and a Gr 3 runner up spot. In the same period Kalmia wrote a victory over Champion Stayer Hot Ticket next to his name but had many problems, while Singing River, who was even more talented than Candy Moon, was unfortunately a bleeder.

Miss Varlicious, who was bred by Boland Stud, could make up for the latter misfortunes.

Gadsby concluded about the tall, 103 merit rated four-year-old speedster, who has never finished worse than third in eleven career starts, “We have big hopes for her. She has bumped one good horse, Muscatt, and been beaten both times but that’s no disgrace and we hope there’s time for more improvement.”

Other current hopefuls in the yard from a string of 36 are Mad Pushpa and Seattle Belle, whom Gadsby thinks could be Oaks types, although he is not sure yet whether either of them are good enough.

Fans can always expect consistent performances from the Gadsby yard, as underlined by Royal Colours who won six in a row between July and November 2014, and they deserve more opportunities.

By David Thiselton