Former Dux of the Racing SA Apprentice Academy Libby Hopwood will be cheering from afar when Artful Libby steps out at Morphettville on Saturday.
Hopwood, who now calls Sydney home, rode 324 winners during her career and enjoyed plenty of success aboard Artful Libby’s dam, Artful Terra. The mare won a Kimba Cup in 2012 with Hopwood aboard, and this prompted owner George Pedler to give her a share in the horse.
“We gifted Libby a share,’’ Pedler said.
“Libby rode her mum in a lot of her races and won a Kimba Cup on her.
“She’s actually very similar to her mother, running three close seconds in a row in town but just couldn't crack a win,’’ he said.
Artful Libby has returned to racing in style winning her first two races this campaign at Port Lincoln, before finishing runner-up at Morphettville at her past two.
Pedler is hoping the addition of blinkers for the first time on Saturday will see the mare break through at metropolitan level.
“She’s going very well, just not quite well enough,’’ Pedlar said.
“We’re very happy with how she’s going, we just need her to go one better.
“She’s going extremely well without them (blinkers). She’s been down at Murray Bridge with Dan Clarken, we asked her to work in the blinkers on Tuesday and she responded to it, hopefully that’s the difference,’’ he said.
