Holder Hoping For a Great Return on Glen
- Thursday, 08 August 2002 00:00
Holder began the season with a winning treble at Victoria Park last weekend and hopes to keep the early momentum going. He has four rides this Saturday all for Leon Macdonald - but the one that holds the most attraction is Great Glen. Each morning for the last eight weeks, Holder he has been aboard the gelding, keen for his return.
"Hes an exciting horse on the way up," Holder said. "Ive won both starts on him and am happy to be able to kick off again this time in."
Great Glen made his debut with a nine-length win in a restricted two-year-old race at Murray Bridge in January, but made the step up to Group class by winning the Group 2 Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Cheltenham Park next start, fighting on doggedly to beat Yell and Presumed Innocent.
"He has led at both his starts but I dont think he has to," Holder said. "On debut he just couldnt go any slower, but he had to work to cross from a wide gate in the Breeders Stakes. The most impressive thing about him is that he was taken on in the lead in that race at about the half-mile. He was never going to let the horse (Yell) past him and he really dug deep to win."
Great Glen has trialled over 688m in slow conditions at Cheltenham Park, winning easily. But this campaign will be his big test.
"A lot of horses win as two-year-olds and dont come up again, but he trialled like a good horse," Holder said. "But if hes going to Melbourne this time in, hed have to run pretty well on Saturday. Hes a beautiful, big strong horse but this will be a good test for him. Leon will make his plans after seeing what he does on Saturday but I hope I get the chance to stick with him."
Noted speedsters Romilada, Corps Commander, the towering grey Kurt and Court Hero will test his meddle this weekend.
Media Release - Jason Hickson (TRSA)
VRC Rewards Members in Australian Racing First
- Thursday, 08 August 2002 00:00
The top seven attending Members will be treated to a VIP day at the races as a way of acknowledging and thanking them for their outstanding patronage to Flemington throughout the year.
Members honoured on the day will have their names etched into Flemington racing history with a race on the program named in their honour.
The initiative is part of the VRCs Racing Rewards, launched on 1st August 2001. Racing Rewards aims to reward the most regularly attending Members by offering them exclusive access to a range of racing and non-racing related benefits which includes Members tickets, dining discounts, champagne vouchers and entry into a series of prize draws including overseas trips to feature international race meetings such as the Singapore International Cup.
Rosemary Kenny attended almost all-34 of Flemington racemeetings last season making the journey from Bendigo on each occasion and will be among the lucky seven regular racegoers to be acknowledged on the day.
Other racing regulars enjoying the VIP treatment for a day include William Price from East Kew, whose trainer son Mick Price will have a two runners, Cornbread and Best Intentions in the race named after his father William.
George Vella, of Avondale Heights, David Benham of Abbotsford, Maxwell Hawkins of Ringwood, Michael Brondou of Thornbury and Ansis Dizgalvis of Hawthorn will also share the inaugural race names of the VRC Racing Rewards Race day.
Three levels of Rewards are achievable and are dependent on the number of Reward points accumulated throughout the Racing Season. Reward points are earned whenever a Member attends a race meeting at Flemington and scans their Membership Card through the Members turnstiles.
Media Release - VRC
Exciting Adelaide Galloper Resumes Saturday
- Thursday, 08 August 2002 00:00
Boom Adelaide youngster Great Glen is the star attraction at the local meeting at Morphettville on Saturday as he attempts to extend his unbeaten run to three.
A member of the powerful Morphettville based Leon Macdonald stable, Great Glen is a last start winner of the Group Two Breeders' Stakes when he held out the John Hawkes trained Yell.
The runner-up from that race went on to edge out the previously unbeaten boom Melbourne filly Innovation Girl before thrashing a stakes field in Brisbane.
Great Glen's win in the Breeders' came just five days after he thrashed a field of Maidens at the provincial track of Murray Bridge.
The just turned three-year-old is part owned by Des Pope, a man who's runners are firing through the deeds of Rubitano and Innovation Girl, just to name two.
Pope is not surprisingly excited about the upcoming spring carnival and he is hoping the third member of the fabulous three resumes a winner in Adelaide.
"It's going to be interesting on Saturday," Pope said. "Great Glen is having his first start this preparation and hopefully he can continue in the same way that he went out (for a spell)."
Connections of Great Glen are planning on aiming the gelding at one of early feature races of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
"All going well after his run in Adelaide, then he will be sent here for the (Group Two) Ascot Vale Stakes," Macdonald's Melbourne foreman Andrew Noblet said recently.
The Macdonald stable is looking forward to another lucrative spring carnival with other stable representatives Li Lo Lill and Eagle Rhythm being targeted at the feature staying events, while many feel the bonny mare Shaye Spice is well up to some of the feature sprints.
PICS - Jenny Barnes.
A Special Girl Makes Her Debut
- Wednesday, 07 August 2002 00:00
The Dan OSullivan trained
Demographic made an impressive, although inexperienced debut at Victoria Park on Saturday
winning the Nuclear Debate Handicap. With her ears pricked inquisitively on the line,
Demographic completed the straight 1000 metre course 1 ¾ lengths clear of her nearest
rival, the royally bred Defiant (Danehill from Ruffles) with a further ¾ of a length to
the Anabaa filly Anacarde.A three-year-old chestnut filly, Demographic is by Gold Brose from Special Sal, a daughter of sprinting sensation Special. Her straight course ability should come as no surprise when one considers her grand dam Special dominated the Flemington Straight Six in 1988 with wins in the Group One VRC Gadsen, Lightning and Newmarket Stakes. Gold Brose too shared this particular talent winning the VRC Linlithgow Stakes as a three-year-old.
Demographic is built very much in the mould of her father Gold Brose, a stallion I had the opportunity to view whilst on a Stud Tour of New Zealand hosted by the South Australian Thoroughbred Breeders.
At the time of our visit in September 2000 Gold Brose headlined the Westbury Stud stallion roster having produced the stakes winners Buzz Lightyear, Catamarca, Party Queen, Butterscotch, Joans Best, Coup Wood, Mine dOr and Cryptavia since his entry to stud just five years prior.
Fitted with a special shoe to
support a hind leg, Gold Brose appeared in extremely good health at the time of our visit
and whilst Westbury did their best to manage the same injuries that plagued his racetrack
career, Gold Brose died shortly after our visit.
Demographic, a member of Gold Broses penultimate crop, was purchased by the South Australian breeding outfit Brandon Farm at the 2001 New Zealand Premier Sale, presumably with her broodmare potential in mind. She was, in actuality, an astute purchase given the encouraging performances of her full sister, Chalonnaise at the time. Under the guidance of Tony McEvoy, Chalonnaise had won in Adelaide and been placed in the Group Three SAJC Smoke-Free Stakes and listed VRC Cadbury Roses Stakes.
Special Sal, the dam of Demographic, is by Alzao from the aforementioned Special by Habituate. Whilst Specials accomplishments on the racetrack alone are enough to send the printer running for more ink, her lesser-performed daughters are set to surpass her broodmare record.
Lady Special, a full sister
to Special Sal, is fast emerging as the star producer of the family. Her first foal, none
other than Bomber Bill, is a dual Group One winner of over $900,000. Her second foal
Camargue, a Group Three winner of the VATC Thoroughbred Club Stakes is now a broodmare
herself and has a 2001 colt by Flying Spur.
In Demographics pedigree both Gold Brose and Specials sire Habituate represent the Habitat sire line. She is therefore inbred to that horse 4m x 4m. Habitat is by Sir Gaylord a son of the Princequillo mare Somethingroyal and therefore a half-brother to the immortal Secretariat. Demographic carries another strain of Sir Gaylord via Sir Ivor, the sire of Alzao and interestingly, Gold Brose himself traces in direct female to Somethingroyals dam Imperatrice.
Demographic is also inbred 5m x 4m to Northern Dancer through Nijinsky (sire of Yeats, dam sire of Gold Brose) and Lyphard (the sire of Alzao).
Dubai Clare Wins For Clare
- Wednesday, 07 August 2002 00:00
A member of the John Barns stable, Dubai Clare, a 40/1 despised outsider, scored a comprehensive win with Clare Lindop in the saddle.
A five-year-old daughter of the South Australian based sire Dubai Creek, Dubai Clare won the 1050 metre Class One event by a length and three quarters. Second home was another outsider West Street (20/1). The favourite Prince Blev (25/10) was third, a further one and a half lengths back.
Apart from that blow out result there was some joy for favourite punters on the eight event card.
Scenaraja (15/10) scored a runaway win in the first race, while Issapardee (16/10) and Cullen Bay (16/10) were also winning favourites.
Adelaide Hills based senior rider Jeffrey Maund took riding honours with a winning double. He was successful aboard Quick Class for Trevor Day before winning the last on the locally trained 10/1 pop Belikely for Kerri McAnulty.