A charm of a Christmas gift from Lisa

Trainer Lisa Latta has an army of in-form gallopers to choose from but her Christmas present to Lincoln Farms’ supporters is to follow a seemingly out-of-form four-year-old maiden.

And with a formline of 8690, Latta says we could get a juicy dividend when Authentic Charm lines up at Tauherenikau on January 2.

Most punters will skip right over the Per Incanto mare who has shown little in four starts and hasn’t raced since running last of 14 in May.

But Latta is thrilled with the way the mare has come up this time in and after a jumpout and two trials, she says she is ready to show some form.

Authentic Charm is trialling beautifully for trainer Lisa Latta.Latta was gobsmacked when Authentic Charm won a jumpout on November 7 when, fat as a house, she told rider Robbie Hannam to give her a quiet run.

A couple of weeks later she ran second at the Woodville trials, blowing out when still carrying a lot of condition.

And last time at Waverley she pulled very hard on a slow pace and went under by only half a head.

Latta knows plenty about Authentic Charm’s family, which is one of slow maturers. She is a half sister to one of her favourites, oldtimer Authentic Paddy, who has now won 11 races and $748,000 and is still going strong at the age of nine. At his last start he ran second to to Danzdanzdance in the Group I Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham.