Last season’s Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m) winner Hello It’s Me made a winning start to her spring campaign when she took out the opening event at Ruakaka on Sunday.

The Darci Brahma mare was having her first start since taking out the Ellerslie feature on New Year’s Day to round out her three-year-old season.

Prepared by the local powerhouse stable of Chris Gibbs and new training partner, Michelle Bradley, Hello It’s Me was expected to have too many guns for her five rivals in the rating 82 1200m sprint and so it proved as she cruised clear in the run home to record an effortless victory.

Gibbs was delighted to kick the day off in style as he outlined some ambitious plans for his charge.

“She was a bit chubby and went into it quite fat, so I said to Cameron (Lammas) not to knock her around if he could help it, although she was here to win if she could,” he said.

“There was always going to be pace in the race and it suited us right down to the ground. They took each other on, so we couldn’t have been happier.

“In the end that was comfortable. She’s a very classy mare.”

Hello It’s Me holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) with Gibbs keen to see her win a place in the event.

“She is in the Livamol so if we can sneak her in I’d love to have a go at it,” he said.

“We wanted to get through today as she has been off the scene with a few little niggling problems that we think we have ironed out.

“We’re hoping to see her come out of this run before we make too many plans. We will sit down with the owners and Cameron Lammas to see which path we take.”

Hello It’s Me currently sits in 21st place in the order of entry for the Livamol Classic and is rated a $21 chance on the TAB Fixed Odds market for the event that will be run at Hastings on October 6. – NZ Racing Desk