Livia Jesselle salutes in debut

By Kath Gannaway
LIVIA Jesselle gave Healesville and Yarra Glen syndicate members every reason to be optimistic on Saturday.
The three-year-old took line honours in the Leighton Contractors Maiden Plate at Yarra Glen on Saturday in her debut run.
Syndicate member and breeder John Coloe was thrilled with the result.
Coloe who now lives in Canberra was back on home turf for what turned out to be a memorable homecoming.
“I trained her mother Aerscay over the road,” he said pointing to the stables within a stone’s throw of the Yarra Valley Racing Centre where Anthony Darmanin had just ridden the her to the front of a field of 15.
He bred the filly and could see the merit when some interested drinking mates suggested a syndicate.
Healesville syndicate members who would no doubt have been celebrating on Saturday night include Tom Bergin, Beau Hay, Kevin Matthews, Gary O’Donnell, Max Britt, Lenny Olney, Greg Hay, J. Simmonds and S. Cowdroy. Tom Bergin was on track to savour the moment although he admitted to being a little nervous early in the race.
Any apprehension was unfounded according to trainer Barry Barnes who said Darmanin rode to instructions for a perfect result.
“I told him to go back early then whip home hard, which is just what he did,” Barnes said.
“We knew she had a chance, based on her track work and trials, which were very promising,” he said.
Coloe too said he had been encouraged by the horse’s performance a week ago when he says she showed “a fair bit of promise”.
He had no complaints about the ride either. “He rode very well. You can’t come to any other conclusion when you have a first race winner,” he said.
The plan for Livia, who he describes as a nice filly with big, raw bones, is to let her climb the ladder slowly according to Barnes, but having scaled the first rung in such great style, her owners will no doubt be looking forward to her next outing.