Oxford Tycoon lived up to the expectations of trainer Kim Waugh with an impressive five length win in the MATCHMASTER – I.P.D – HANECO 2YO C&G MAIDEN PLATE over 1100 metres.
The Written Tycoon colt was third in a Listed race on debut last preparation, before finishing a close fifth, in the Group 2 Skyline. The stable had expected a good first up performance on the back of a strong trial win at Newcastle on July 12.
Despite being caught three wide, jockey Blake Shinn kept a cool head, taking Oxford Tycoon to the front in straight, drawing away in the final stages.
Long-time stable foreman, Terry Bellew, a co-owner of colt, said Waugh had realised early the horse had potential.
“I can’t thank Kim enough for getting me into him,” an excited Bellew said. “Even when he was a yearling and we were in the middle putting him through the barriers, Kim said I think this might be one of the real good horses that Miss Monashee throws.
“He did it pretty easy today. He’s got a bit of class about him and this was just a stepping stone to get a nice win under his belt.
“The way Blake rode him, even though he was three wide, he was happy to be there and he knew he had a good horse under him.”
Shinn said Oxford Tycoon was going to be a “lovely horse.”
“He was always travelling well even though we were wide. I knew he was fit so I just kept him there and he got the job done. “He should get a lot of confidence out of this win. Taking these steps is better than throwing him into the deep end.”
Oxford Tycoon ($1.35fav) is co-owned by long-time stable client Jim Yee, who also bred the colt.
A large number of his family, including some who had flown in from Hong Kong, were on hand to cheer him home.
He beat the Cummings trained Hemsted ($17), with Rectitude ($5.50) from the Gerald Ryan stable, a close third.
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It was a dramatic victory for Jeff Englebrecht’s Miss Faith, with the trainer and connections having to survive a nervous 20 minute wait while stewards examined footage from the start.
The Dreamscape mare looked to have recorded back to back wins to take out the CLIPSAL BY SCHNEIDER BENCHMARK 69 HANDICAP, coming from the rear of the field to record a narrow win over the 1100m.
But stewards were concerned she may have lunged at the gates and broken through just before the starter released the field. After a subsequent enquiry, where evidence was taken from starter, it was determined there was no issue with the start and the placings held.
“It would have been a rotten way to lose,” a relieved Englebrecht said.
“It was another good run by the mare. She is enjoying a real purple patch of form at the moment.
“This was her eighth start this time in but it’s not worrying her. If she pulls up well we will push on.”
Englebrecht said he would look for a mid-race metropolitan race, believing the mare had earned her right to a city start.
Miss Faith ($4.80), who was coming off a win at Newcastle on July 10, settled at the rear of the field for most of the race, storming down the outside late to overhaul the $1.70 favourite Katgully Red.
The winning ride by Jean Van Overmeire, earned him the Wyong Apprentices premiership, with five wins for the season.
Godolphin runner Penalty ($4.10) was a half length behind in third.
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Blake Shinn brought up a winning treble on the Gerald Ryan trained Clifton County ($4.80) taking out the 1350m OMNI – REPELEC CLASS 1 HANDICAP in a close finish.
It was another cool ride by Shinn, bringing the Bernadini gelding to the outside in the straight and flashing home to win by a half neck. It was a pick up ride for Shinn after James Innes Jnr was late arriving at the track.
Ryan was complimentary of the ride and Clifton County.
“It was the right race for him today. The only reservation I had going into it was that he’d had the eight runs and might have been at the end of his tether,” Ryan said.
“Blake gave him a great ride. With the speed on up the front and he found the line at the right time.”
Ryan said Clifton County had good form on the Wyong track, with a win and two placings from five starts.
“This is one of my favourite tracks and I’ve had a fair bit of luck here,” he said. “The surface is always good and horses never pull up sore.”
Clifton County beat Spring Creek Star ($2.90) trained by Jarrod Austin, with Damien Lane’s Oakfield Missile ($2.80) a neck behind in third.
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A strong, front running ride by Blake Shinn secured victory for Bobbio in the 1350m BRILLIANT LTG – PRYSMIAN MAIDEN, kicking off a winning day for the jockey.
Shinn took the two-year-old Snitzel colt to an early lead, rating him well in the running before pulling away on straightening for a convincing win.
Trainer John Thompson said the addition of blinkers and race experience had been the telling factors.
“He took the race by the scruff of the neck today and won well,” he said. “He’s a horse that’s still learning. The blinkers going on today was a good gear change and they seemed to switch him on.”
Thompson said the experience of Shinn had also been a telling factor in the colt breaking through for his maiden win at his third start.
“Blake switched him on out of the gates and I think he’s a horse that if he was challenged he would have won by even more today. “We came here for his confidence. He’s still an immature horse and hopefully the win today will give him more confidence and he will go on with it.”
Bobbio, who started $1.85 favourite, was purchased for $200,000 by Thompson at the 2017 Gold Coast yearling sales.
The breeder, former NSW Police Minister Paul Whelan, retained a share in the syndicate.
Bobbio beat the Noel Mayfield-Smith trained Sun And Heir ($5) by a length, with Erudition ($2.60) from the Godolphin stable, a short head behind in third.
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An impressive debut by the Mark Newnham trained Gentle Persuasion, who overcame a wide draw to take out the 1100m L&C/PAK – OMEGA – LEVEY AGENCIES 2YO FILLIES MAIDEN PLATE by almost two lengths.
A fast early tempo aided jockey Josh Parr in settling the filly in a nice position mid-field.
Newnham said he was always confident when things panned out well in the early stages of the race.
“Josh gave her a lovely ride. There was plenty of pace in the race which we thought there might be. We were hoping if they all strung out like that we would find a position,” he said.
“I was confident that she was good enough to win the race but it was just a matter of where she’d end up from the barrier. She could have been four deep with no cover and that would of made it very hard.
“Once she got into that spot she was going to be hard to hold out. It was just a matter of where she got to from the draw.
“Josh gave her a perfect ride and that helps.”
Newnham said the filly, owned by Goree, had shown ability from day one.
“She’s trialled well every time she goes to the trials and she’s had a couple of hiccups that have stopped getting her to the races but it hasn’t halted her ability that’s for sure.
“I will find a suitable race in town for her now but that was fantastic today.”
Gentle Persuasion ($11), beat the Hawkes trained $2.80 favourite I’m So Sweet, with Don’t Doubt Pfeiffer ($9.50) from the Pfeiffer stable, a close third.
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A good training performance by Hawkesbury based Scott Singleton to quinella the CABAC – PSA – GERARD LTG PROV & CTRY MAIDEN HANDICAP over 1200m.
Snatcha ($4), ridden by Christian Reith, held off a challenge by stable mate Mosht Up ($9) with Jess Taylor in the saddle, to record a narrow win.
Singleton said it was great to get first and second.
“I came here today expecting them both to race well and they did,” he said.
“I didn’t expect Snatcha to be as wide as he was, so it was a good, tough win.
“He really fought on in the straight and that’s encouraging.
“It’s only his third start and I’m sure he will take plenty out of it.”
Singleton said he didn’t expect Mosht Up would be far away from a win.
“The way she got home today was really encouraging.
“While she didn’t get the money I don’t think she’s far off.”
In a close, three-way finish, the Tracey Bartley trained Mud Wasp ($12) was third, a neck behind the winner.
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Back to back wins for Andrew MacDonald’s in-form filly Happy Mo ($2.80), taking out the 1000m LEGRAND AUSTRALIA CLASS 2 HANDICAP.
The Uncle Mo filly normally leads but a slow start from the barriers left jockey Jeff Penza one off the leader.
The filly settled well before Penza took her to the front early in the straight, managing to fight off challengers and score a half-length win.
MacDonald had planned to spell the filly after her Wyong win on July 14 but said she had been “jumping out of her skin” so he decided to send her around again.
“I thought I’d give her one more start and I’m glad I did now,” he said.
“She tries every time and with this race it was just too good an opportunity not to give her one more start.
“To go out on this is a real buzz. She had to work hard today and she dug really deep. She’s a terrific little filly.”
Penza said it was a good win but he had been concerned when she missed the kick.
“The horse in front was going very fast. There was no way we were going to cross it but it gave her something to follow,” he said.
“She was too good for them in the end and I was very happy with her.”
The Waugh trained $2.20 favourite Mighty Marmalade dead heated with Miss Casier ($20) from the Mitch Newman stable.
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A decision by Jason Coyle to start his veteran galloper Exicted Prince at Wyong paid off with the eight-year-old taking out the 1600m ELECTRA – SHARKRACK BENCHMARK 67 HANDICAP.
The gelding had been a dual acceptor at Monday’s Goulburn meeting, with Coyle deciding the three kilo pull in the weights at Wyong suited him better.
Excited Prince ($21) upset some of the more fancied runners to score a neck win over Muse ($41) trained by Noel Mayfield-Smith, with the Kris Lees $1.90 favourite Moondancer third.
“It was a good decision in the end,” he said.
“He’s an old horse and that sort of weight can make a difference.
“Kathy (O’Hara) did a great job on him today. She got a good cart into the race off the favourite and was able to go on from there.
“I have been looking for soft tracks for him but there haven’t been many options of late but he handled the track well here today.
“I’ll keep him going and look for a similar race in a few weeks.”
It was the fifth career win for the Excites gelding from 59 starts.
