Fran

Kristen Buchanan had a dream start to her Saturday taking out the Midway at Randwick and posting a home track victory, all within 20 minutes. 

Bruce McKenzie’s Oakfield Waratah scored in the Midway, the consistent four-year-old bringing up his second Midway win and fourth victory from just 10 starts. 

Minutes later Gardenzio ($15) was too strong in the Best Wishes On Your Retirement Kevin Miller Maiden, over 1100m with Kody Nestor in the saddle.
The son of Menari was having just his second career start, the addition of blinkers and a great front running ride by Kody Nestor securing his first victory.

Gardenzio had raced greenly on debut at Kembla over 1200m but going back in distance and sporting blinkers gave him plenty of confidence to post his debut win. 

Nestor took him to the lead from the start and in a perfectly rated ride, kicked on the turn and drew away in the straight to win by almost three lengths. 

The Midway victory was Buchanan’s 10^th in the race, earning her the nickname Midway Queen, with her two Saturday wins taking her season tally to 34, equaling last season’s tally with two weeks remaining.

In a great start to the day for local trainers Allan Kehoe made it back-to-back Wyong winners with his consistent gelding Lord Bob ($8) taking out the Germany WWC Welcome To Wyong Maiden.

The Office Bearer gelding had been placed third at Wyong in his two previous starts since resuming from a spell, so there was plenty of confidence from the stable that he could be in the finish. 

In another strong front running ride, Grant Buckley took Lord Bob to the lead before drawing away in the straight to post a half-length win. 

Former trainer Nicole Hudson is in the ownership of Lord Bob, who has now posted a win and three placings from his six starts. 

The Waller trained Gago finished strongly in third and looks like he would be better suited on a bigger track. 

“It was a good tough win, and we are really happy with how he’s going,” Kehoe said. 

Both the Kris Lees and Jarrod Austin stable trained doubles. 

Darryl McLellan lifted Lees first winner Ideel Hero ($4.80) to victory in the1600m Kimberly Burke Celebration Provincial Maiden.

The Dundeel gelding looked certain to be beaten after being headed by Killer Kerr in the final stages, but the veteran jockey was able to lift the three-year-old on the line. 

Hellavadancer ($3.50fav) was Lees second winner taking out the Happy 50^th Birthday Darin F&M BM64 (1350m), with Andrew Gibbons in the saddle. 

Australian Bloodstock’s Hellbent three-year-old brought up her third win from 14 starts with three minor placings. 

Stable representative Danny Greer said they had expected the filly to appreciate the race well. 

“The drop back in grade suited her and we wanted her to be ridden more positively. She’s a much better filly when she leads, and it was good to get her back to the winner’s circle.”

Jarrod Austin trained a race to race double with Deep Field gelding Vindication ($1.85fav) and Remus ($5.50), who posted his first win in more than two years. 

The five-year-old son of Vancouver had last tasted success at Hawkesbury in June 21, with yesterday’s victory in the Drew Chivas Memorial BM64 (1600m) a welcome return to the winner’s circle. 

Jess Taylor chased the leaders down in the straight, bursting through on the line for a narrow win. 

Four-year-old Vindication completed Austin’s double, justifiying his short price with an impressive two length win in the Go Matildas 2023 – FIFA Women’s World Cup Midway Class 1 (1200m).

The gelding was resuming from a spell following two trials. Keagan Latham took Vindication to the front on straightening and put paid to the opposition with a dominant win. 

Godolphin two-year-old Razors ($2.50fav) looked a class above his rivals bringing up his debut win in the Wyong Cup Carnival August 27 & September 1 2YO Maiden (1200m) ridden by Christian Reith.

The son of Sidestep was resuming from a spell and brought up his first win at start five. 

A freshen up seemed to do the trick for Bjorn Baker’s Hollywood Hero ($4.40) who was given a great ride by apprentice Jett Stanley to score his second win in the Get Well Soon Gary Harley CG&E BM64 (1350m).

Stanley gave the three-year-old a rails-hugging ride, before taking a gap in the straight and drawing away to win by a length. 

There were excuses for the  $3.50 favorite Smooth Flight hung in badly in the final stages.

There was plenty of praise for the track, a credit to Phil Robinson and his team. 

ON a dreary and wet day, a couple of lightly-raced horses were indeed shining lights.

Whilst it wasn’t a feature meeting, both Shaken and Soobooco won their respective races impressively enough to suggest they can reach greater heights.

Having only her second start and first since February, the beautifully-bred Shaken ($3.80) trounced her rivals in the Magic Millions – Club Sponsor 2002-2027 2YO Fillies Maiden Handicap (1000m).

Three-year-old Soobooco was all the rage at $1.50 for the Ladies’ Day August 27 In Support of The Iris Foundation Midway Maiden Plate (1100m), and gave connections and punters alike no cause for concern.

Shaken was quickly into stride, and had no trouble shaking off $2.15 favorite Love and Light’s short-lived challenge on straightening to romp home by nearly three lengths.

She had run last on debut on the Kensington track on February 3, but there were excuses.

Shaken overraced and was reluctant to settle, and her rider Jason Collett eased her out of the race near the 300m when she continued to hang out.

Trainer James Cummings had to barrier trial Shaken to RacingNSW stewards’ satisfaction – which he did 18 days later at Hawkesbury, and then gave her a break.

Since returning to work, the filly had given a taste of her ability with easy barrier trial victories at Rosehill Gardens (900m on June 6) and Hawkesbury (800m 13 days later).

A daughter of the brilliant sire I Am Invincible, Shaken is the fifth foal of the 2014 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner and Golden Slipper Stakes runner-up Earthquake.

“She is the most athletic horse Earthquake has produced,” stable spokesman Darren Beadman said afterwards.

“James (Cummings) has been patient with her, and she has strengthened up nicely.

“Zac Lloyd knows how to ride a fast horse fast, and she won with a lot of authority.

“Shaken is a really good type, and wouldn’t look out of place on the catwalk.”

Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini was delighted to get Soobooco into the winning list at his first start since late January after being placed at four (all seconds) of his previous five outings.

A $100,000 purchase at the 2021 Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast, breeder Max Whitby took a share in the young horse when Minervini bought him.

“Soobooco ran against some good horses earlier in his career, and I recommended to his owners that we pull up stumps in January and wait for winter as he had shown me soft tracks would suit him,” Minervini explained.

“The rain arrived on time, and it was an easy watch.

“I’m sure we can win a few more with him in the next couple of months.”

Soobooco’s victory continued a very successful season for Minervini, the former Adelaide trainer who relocated to Newcastle in 2019.

The gelding was his 24^th winner – five of them have been at Wyong – since August, and he said he has built good clients, and has been gradually getting a better quality of horse.

Soobooco sat behind the speed, loomed up on straightening and looked to have plenty in reserve as he stretched clear of fellow Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle’s Amberina ($8) in the closing stages.

Winning rider Jason Collett said Soobooco was “quite progressive”, and appreciated the wet ground.

Who would have expected an ATC Derby runner-up to be lining up at the provincials in a restricted race – but there he was in the Happy Retirement Isorich Class 1/Maiden Plate (2100m)!

Not surprisingly, Benaud was a $1.26 favorite and outclassed his four rivals by more than six lengths.

A 1400m Nowra Maiden winner on debut in September 2021, Benaud was narrowly beaten by Hitotsu in the 2400m ATC Derby the following autumn.

However, he had failed to get the winning feeling again in 11 subsequent starts – all in good company – and trainer John O’Shea sent him to Wyong to gain a confidence boosting breakthrough.

“He needed to do that, and it was good to see him do so,” said O’Shea’s foreman Tom Charlton.

“We’ve been so happy with the horse over the last 12 months even though he wasn’t winning, and went all over him and couldn’t find anything wrong.

“All going well, he will go to the Grafton Cup now.”

The $200,000 Listed Cup (2350m) will be run on Thursday week (July 13) as the highlight of the carnival.

Benaud’s victory – only the second of his 20-start career – put up a double for one of Sydney’s leading apprentices, Tyler Schiller.

He had earlier won the Become A Wyong Race Club Member for Just $55 Maiden Plate (1350m) on $1.90 favorite Double Scoop, who broke through at her ninth start.

The Press Statement three-year-old was dropping back to provincial grade after two recent Sydney appearances; the latest when runner-up at Canterbury on June 21.

Schiller always had her in a prominent position, and she was too good for Burns To Embrace ($5.50) and Lord Bob ($21).

Double Scoop’s Royal Randwick trainer John Thompson got punters off to a flyer by winning the first two races with odds-on favorites.

Regally-bred Kingston Charm ($1.90), with another leading apprentice Reece Jones aboard, took the De Bortoli 3YO Maiden Handicap (1600m).

The filly fetched only $19,000 as an online buy in May 2020, and like her stablemate Double Scoop, also was racing for the ninth occasion.

Though not brilliantly away, Jones took full advantage of Kingston Charm’s soft draw to settle her in a prominent position before securing a split between third placegetter Rabairneach ($3.50) and runner-up Sonny Fella ($20) to outgame that pair in the last 50 metres.

It took six races before the locals joined the winning list – and Damien Lane did it in style, courtesy of a classy Rachel King front-running ride on Dundeel four-year-old Oakfield Redgum ($5).

Lane made it 30 wins for the season; four of them in the last four days.

He scored with Oakfield Mahogany at Kembla Grange last Saturday, and then clinched a double with Deep Opinions and Propel Motion at the opening of Grafton’s July carnival a day later.

Oakfield Redgum maintained a good gallop right to the line to defeat recent Hawkesbury winner Queen Astrid ($3.70) and fellow Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan’s Blue Guitar ($21), in the Consider Race Sponsorship at Wyong Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1600m).

“She has been looking for the 1600m, and the sting out of the ground,” Lane said.

“I probably made a mistake by keeping her at 1400m last time when she was a bit dour.  

“Oakfield Redgum won her maiden at Port Macquarie by a big margin on a soft track last August, and it was heavy today and she handled it well.

“I think she can manage up to 2000m, and she excels on these wet tracks.”

Newcastle’s gun apprentice Dylan Gibbons tagged Orlabent as a “quality horse” after the three-year-old completed a hat-trick in the Carlton Wyong Gold Cup Friday September 1 Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

“He probably wasn’t all that comfortable on the heavy ground, and I feel he will be an even better horse next preparation,” Gibbons said.

Orlabent ($3 second favorite) took the length of the straight to get there in the nick of time, but responded gamely to nab Shezanalister ($7) in the last couple of bounds.

The lightly-raced Hellbent three-year-old has had four starts since joining leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ stable.

After Orlabent ran a promising second first-up over 1000m at the Scone carnival on May 12, Lees took blinkers off him – and he has rattled off subsequent wins at Wyong (twice) and Port Macquarie in between.

Whereas racing began on a “Soft 6” rating, rain during the meeting resulted in a gradual downgrade to a “Heavy 9” for the final three events.

Jockey Tom Sherry ended the day on a winning note, but not before he said “everything that could go wrong did go wrong” with Invictus Lad ($4.40) in the Wyong’s Next Race Meeting Saturday July 15 Class 1 Handicap (1350m).

“He was playing up in the stalls and didn’t jump well, but got into a nice rhythm once he settled,” Sherry said.

“Peter and Paul Snowden have been looking for a wet track for him, and he toughed it out well at the end.”

 Invictus Lad moved up menacingly wide on the home turn and he, runner-up Skylight Song ($3.80 favorite) and third placegetter Lease ($4.20), slogged it out over the last 200m.

Denim Wynen kicked off the Central Coast Clubs NSW Race Day in the best possible way with a win for the locals. 

Wynen’s consistent filly Emphatic Bel broke through for a well-deserved victory in the 1100m 3YO Maiden, having finished second over the same distance and track at her previous start on June 1. 

The filly drifted in the betting to start at $8, with plenty of support for the minor placegetters Amberina & Magnatear ($2.20fav).

Serg Lisnyy gave Emphatic Bel the perfect ride going head-to-head with Amberina down the straight. He was able to lift her on the line earning plenty of praise from Wynen. 

“That’s the way to ride her and Serg did it really well,” she said. “I was very confident coming into today and felt she would race well.”

John Cooper was the second of the local brigade to taste success, with Anansi causing an upset in the 21000m Class 1 & Maiden returning upwards of $100.

Cooper purchased the son of American Pharoah for just $22,000 in July last year and he had only been placed once for his new owner in his 10 previous starts. 

But all was forgiven when the four-year-old put his best foot forward on his home track, collecting prizemoney of $21,000 for his efforts. 

Cooper said he had been confident when Jay Ford was able to get him to the outside in the final stages. 

“He’s pretty dour and if he gets held up, he loses his rhythm, and it all goes out the window. He got clear running today and got the job done.”

Anansi got the bob on the line over Kerry Parker’s short priced favourite Acceber, with Cooper admitting he had also backed the winner. 

It was finally pay day for Mr Kennedy, the Fastnet Rock gelding breaking through in the 1100m 4YO & Up Maiden. 

It had been a real journey for Richard Litt’s lightly raced six-year-old, who had an early preparation in Hong Kong before returning to Sydney. 

He had been placed on five occasions leading into the Wyong race where he was able to put them away courtesy of a well rated, front running ride by Josh Parr. 

Litt expects the $1.8m yearling will go on to win more races after taking confidence from the victory. 

A plan by David Pfieffer and Jay Ford came to fruition when well-bred Pierro gelding Lysander broke through in the 1350m Maiden. The pair wanted to roll forward to overcome a wide barrier and Ford was able to do just that and gain a soft lead which he maintained throughout. 

Pfieffer expects Lysander, a $180,000 Magic Millions yearling raced by Waratah Thoroughbreds, to get over more ground. 

He was equally excited about the prospects of his smart Capitalist filly Angel Fund who brought up her second win from just three starts in the 1100m Class 1 with Jason Collett in the saddle. 

The Capitalist filly was coming off a last start victory at Gosford when resuming over 1000m on March 25. 

Pfieffer plans to keep Angel Fund over the shorter distances this time in and see where she takes then in following preparations. 

Bokuden didn’t waste any time creating an impression for his new stable, the Deep Impact colt taking out the 1350m BM64 for Peter and Paul Snowden ridden by Sam Clipperton. 

A Deep Impact colt, Bokuden joined the Snowden stable after spending his first preparation in Queensland where he was placed once on the Sunshine Coast from his three starts.

He has trialled twice for the Snowden’s before taking out a 1200m Maiden at Kembla over 1200m on May 23, making it back-to-back wins at Wyong.

Stable representative Colm McCullough said they had always had a good opinion of the colt, who they expected to get out in distance.  Kristen Buchanan’s Big Happiness was the runner-up and looks primed for a win.

It was an excited Molly Bourke returned to scale in the 1600m BM64 after bringing up her first win for new boss John O’Shea. 

Bourke, who still claims 3kg on the Provincial circuit, rode Irish import Awesome Wonder to her third career win from 14 starts. 

Bourke was able to avoid the significant interference in the final stages by taking the four-year-old to the outside to win by almost a length. 

“I’m very grateful for the opportunities the stable has given me,” Bourke said, “and so good to get a winner.”

Another apprentice Jett Stanley partnered Annabel Neasham’s Jamrock to victory in the 1600m Maiden. 

The Pierro gelding posted the most impressive win of the day, blitzing his opposition by nearly five lengths. 

Stewards adjourned an inquiry into the circumstances of a fall in the third race which saw Jeff Penza fall from Prize Tulip, suffering a broken collar bone.

Deanne Payna was suspended from June 26 to June 29 after pleading guilty to careless riding on Eve ‘N’ Ruby in the last, while fellow rider Keagan Latham pleaded guilty to the same charge in the same race on his mount Duke Of Gordon and suspended from June 25 to June 30.

*Pics Steve Hart Photography*

The State’s leading jockey Aaron Bullock put on a master class at Wyong’s Winter Race Day combining with Mark Minervini to take out the 1350m BM64 on Star Impact and Fire And Ice in the 1100m BM68. 

The pair have become a formidable combination in recent months, with Bullock riding five winners and four placings for the Minervini stable from just 10 starters. 

His Wyong double took his tally for the season to 148, with James McDonald second on 110.

Minervini is also enjoying his best season in recent years with 21 winners to date, five of those in the past four days. 

He was thrilled with the Wyong double and full of praise for Bullock. 

“You always go to these meetings with plenty of hope, but it doesn’t often happen, so to train a double was great. We are still pinching ourselves to be honest,” he said. 

“It’s great to have Aaron on board. He’s riding with so much confidence at the moment and is very focused. He rode my first winner for me when we came over from Adelaide.

“I’ve given him a few rides recently and we’ve just gelled together, so I hope it keeps going.

“It’s taken us a while to get established since moving to Newcastle. It’s a big job and if I’d realised how long I would have taken I probably wouldn’t have done it. We’re over the moon now and hopefully the future is only going to get better.”

Young guns Tyler Schiller, Dylan Gibbons and Jett Stanley weren’t to be denied, assisting their respective mounts to victory. 

Comeback jockey Adam Hyeronimus couldn’t hide his delight, returning to scale after booting home Notabadone for Jim and Greg Lee. 

Hyeronimus was sidelined for two years and four months by stewards for betting offences, returned to the saddle on May 26 and has already ridden a winner. He was having his first ride back at Wyong and his only ride for the day. 

Hyeronimus, was keen to partner Notabadone, the $2.10 favourite narrowly beaten at his last start at Nowra on May 21. 

The Group 1 winning jockey, who spent much of his time while suspended working as a tree lopper, said he had expected the slower tempo in the 1350m 4YO & Up Maiden would suit Notabadone.

Gibbons combined with his boss Kris Lees to take out the 1100m Provincial Maiden with three-year-old Orlabent. The short-priced favourite didn’t disappoint winning by more than two lengths and looks headed for bigger things. The victory took Gibbons to 90.5 in the Apprentice’s Premiership, giving him a narrow 1.5 lead over Tyler Schiller.

A patient ride by Schiller in the 1600m Maiden resulted in a significant form reversal by Doutelle. Matthew Smith’s Olympic Glory three-year-old was beaten more than 10 lengths at his last start at Kembla but was able to turn that around, courtesy of Schiller, in the 1600m Maiden. 

Stanley continued a great run since moving north riding the Maher Eustace trained Windshadow home in the 1350m CG&E BM64. After being purchased as a $900,00 Magic Millions yearling, the four-year-old was on sold to the current owner Maree Anderson for just $22,500, his Wyong win taking his prizemoney to date to almost $70,000. 

John Thompson had planned to send his well-bred filly California Grass north for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks but she came up as fourth emergency he opted for the Wyong race. 

And she didn’t disappoint, putting more than four lengths on her rivals in the 2100m Class 1 and Maiden, with Keagan Latham in the saddle. The Al Maher three-year-old was coming off a last start Newcastle win over 2300m and looks destined to go on to bigger things. 

Well-bred Written Tycoon colt Mafia will likely head back to Metropolitan grade on the strength of his debut win in the 1000m Maiden. Snowden’s $850,000 colt was resuming from a spell and the win never looked in doubt. Stable representative Colm McCullagh said Mafia had always shown plenty of ability but had taken plenty of time to mature. Chad Schofield was the winning rider. 

*Pics Steve Hart Photographics*

THE “girls” had it all to themselves!

Four Wyong trainers – all of them women – had a blowout at their Wyong Roos Foundation race day at home, winning five of the eight races.

And Kim Waugh, who prepared two of them, forecast a big future for one of her winners, the two-year-old debutant Super News.

At $15, the Your Song youngster (pictured) was super indeed, landing the Coca Cola Europacific Partners and Hospitality Supplies Express 2YO Maiden Plate (1100m).

Despite never seeing the inside rail, Super News stormed to the line to overpower another first starter, the $4.20 favorite Absolute Power.

“I tossed up whether to run him because he drew the carpark,” Waugh said.

“I’ve got a very big opinion of him, but he’s so green and mentally immature.

“I think he is going to be a very good horse.

“He was four deep the whole way, and it was such a good effort.

“Once he got balanced, that’s when he put his foot down and said: ‘See you’.”

Jay Ford rode Super News and also Waugh’s earlier winner Always In ($3.70), who was a shade too strong for runner-up Jo Jo Sun ($6) in the opening event, the Accolade Wines Provincial 3YO Maiden Handicap (1300m).

A three-year-old by Olympic Glory, she was having only her third start, and first since December.

“She is a lovely filly, who was chasing all the way at her first preparation,” Waugh said.

“Now she is learning how to race,” Waugh said.

“I thought she was a bit too far back, so she did a good job.”’

Waugh also was pleased with stablemate Doraskaya, who like Always In, got out of her ground and finished solidly along the inside to just miss third placing.

Along with the Waugh double, fellow Wyong trainers Nikki Hodgson, Kristen Buchanan and Sara Ryan also were successful.

Hodgson scored with Skybeam ($31), Buchanan with Oakfield Waratah ($14), and Ryan with heavily-backed odds-on favorite Chief Conductor ($1.85).

Skybeam, a four-year-old son of Reliable Man, began his career in Victoria and then had three unplaced starts in country NSW before joining Hodgson’s stable.

He ran third first-up over 1350m on his home track a fortnight ago, and stayed at that distance in the Austbrokers and Bishop Collins Maiden Plate on the recommendation of his rider Grant Buckley.

“He still does a bit wrong, so rather than step him up in distance, we decided to keep him at 1350m and he relaxed lovely today,” Hodgson said.

Hodgson could not have wished for a better start to her training career. She has had only 10 starters and won four races; the first being Boho Chick at Port Macquarie on New Year’s Day.

Favorite Little Cointreau ($2.20) was momentarily held up on straightening before getting his chance, but Skybeam surged near the post when he saw the other horse on his inside.

Buchanan produced Oakfield Waratah to post his second win when first-up in the Arcade Trader & Central Coast Kids In Need Benchmark 64 Handicap (1350m), upsetting $2.35 favorite Rocstar Boy.

The lightly-raced Dissident four-year-old, raced by long-time client Bruce Mackenzie, shared the lead with fellow Wyong representative Budhwar, then gained a break in the straight and held out the favorite.

Oakfield Waratah at his fourth start had won his maiden back in November, also at the same track and over the same distance.

Winning rider Koby Jennings said it was good to see the gelding’s progression, and that he still wasn’t sure how to use his legs properly to gallop.

Sara Ryan has done a terrific job with the beautifully-bred Chief Conductor (I Am Invincible from the eight times winner Snitzerland, who took the 2014 Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington).

The four-year-old gelding, a $600,000 Easter yearling purchase in 2020, has had several trainers and is really hitting his straps in her care. 

He has raced four times for Ryan, never been out of a placing and has now won two on end.

Ryan has 22 horses in racing trim, and rides Chief Conductor in his work.

She said before the race that he had not gone backwards since scoring at Hawkesbury on April 13, and that was confirmed when he carried 59.5kg after Jett Stanley’s 2kg claim to land the Wyong Roos Foundation Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

Chief Conductor had to work early after an awkward beginning, then fellow Wyong representative, Rod Bailey’s Mr Bingo ($18), gave him no peace in front.

All credit to the winner, but Mr Bingo was excellent also in trying so hard to finish second.

The remaining three races were won by Team Hawkes with first starter Consenza ($3.60 joint favorite), John O’Shea with Aunt Roberta ($9.50), and Anthony Cummings took the closer with $3 favorite Reginald.

Racing NSW stewards have adjourned an inquiry into Salaasel ($3.60 co-favorite) being severely checked near the 200m in Consenza’s race.

She had to be eased out of the race and finished 10^th, 12 lengths from the winner.

Pierro filly Aunt Roberta made it two in a row at Wyong, producing another tough staying performance to wear down $2.90 co-favorite The Englishman in the Harvey Norman Commercial & Central Coast Volunteer Rescue Association Class 1/Maiden Plate (2100m).

Stewards also reported that both Gold Witness and Restrictions bled from both nostrils in their respective races, incurring a mandatory three months’ ban from racing.