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Stakes target for Familia; Important Sunshine Coast victory for Intrigue; Tiley unleashes QLD maiden winner; Status quo for Inglewood Stud; Lady Bethany romps home at Murray Bridge
Stakes target for Familia
Two-year-old filly Familia continued the good run of form of horses owned by Cambridge Stud proprietors Brendan and Jo Lindsay when successful at Ruakaka on Wednesday in the Sunline – Vale Trevor McKee Maiden 2YO (1000m).
Prepared by Lance Noble, Familia was given a perfect on-pace ride by Sam Spratt to win at her first start and frank her strong trial form.
“It’s nice to get another two-year-old winner leading into next season. It gives us something to look forward to,” Noble said.
“Sam summed it up really well. We knew she’d jump well, and she was able to hold the others out, which was great. She was a little bit green up the straight, but I thought she stuck on well.”
Noble said the daughter of Makfi would likely step-up to stakes company at Wanganui on June 1 at her next outing.
“We may look at the Castletown Stakes (Listed, 1200m) in a couple of weeks,” Noble said.
“It is likely to be wet down there, and we are not sure that she will handle it but while she is going well, we might have a crack at that.”
Important Sunshine Coast victory for Intrigue
The Tony Pike-trained Intrigue added some all-important prizemoney to her career earnings when successful at the Sunshine Coast over 2200m on Wednesday, stepping back in grade after finishing seventh in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on an unsuitable heavy track.
The daughter of Showcasing made light-work of her three-year-old rivals and the A$27,500 first prizemoney will go a long way to ensuring the filly gains a Group One start, holding nominations for both the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) and Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m).
The in-form stable has saddled three winners in succession in Queensland, following The Bostonian’s win in the Gr.1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) on Saturday and Simply Sacred’s success at Ipswich on Sunday.
“We hope things just continue the way it’s going,” stable foreman Chris McNab said.
“At the Gold Coast the other day she just got a little bit off-balance and he probably made a long, searching run too early on her. Ridden quieter today, it was a different result.
“Leith (Innes) gave her a lovely ride and she was always well-above these ones.
“The Derby and the Oaks are coming up and this race just fitted in nicely for her and the prizemoney should help her gain a start.”
Tiley unleashes QLD maiden winner
Debut performer Carrera To The Max ensured travel expenses for a visit to Queensland were more than covered when successful in an A$25,000 1000m maiden at the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday.
Prepared by Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley, who is campaigning a team in Queensland this winter, Carrera To The Max provided jockey Leith Innes with a race-to-race double after an earlier victory on Intrigue.
A daughter of Snitzel, Carrera To The Max had two trials in New Zealand in preparation for her first-up Australian assignment, and made good use of her inside gate to be prominent throughout before proving too strong for Love Ya Blue over the concluding stages.
“She got herself a little fired up today, which is not like her, but she will learn a lot from the experience,” Tiley said.
“She has always shown me plenty, but she has just been a little bit slow to mature. She is a big girl, so today’s hit-out will do her the world of good.
“I wasn’t sure how she would handle the ground, because I have never really galloped her on a wet track at home.
“She is by Snitzel out of a Pins mare, so she has got a bit going for her.”
Tiley has not planned too far ahead for the three-year-old filly as he hopes to work her through the grades in Queensland through the winter.
“We won’t be pressing too many buttons with her,” he said.
“We will probably find another race around here somewhere and she might have four or five runs this time in and step her through the grades.”
Status quo for Inglewood Stud
After a pleasing first season at stud, exciting young stallion War Decree will return to Inglewood Stud in 2019 where he will stand at an unchanged fee of $6,500+GST.
“We were rapt with the response to War Decree,” Inglewood Stud’s Gus Wigley said.
“For a non-syndicated horse to serve just under 100 mares speaks volumes about his appeal as a stallion.
“He drew mares from all over the country and the quality was outstanding, on one day alone he covered maiden siblings to Australian Group One winners Ace High, Shamexpress and Who Shot Thebarman.”
A winner of the prestigious Gr.2 Vintage Stakes (1400m) at Goodwood, War Decree is a son of War Front, North America’s most expensive stallion commanding a service fee of US$250,000.
War Decree is owned in partnership with Kevin Hickman of Valachi Downs, who has proven as enthusiastic about the stallion as Wigley.
“Kevin got right behind the horse last year buying some nice mares on the Gold Coast specifically for him and sending down 15 mares in all,” Wigley said.
“War Decree is such an amazingly fertile horse, he nailed his first 18 pregnancy tests in a row, and we were rapt to repay Kevin’s support by sending all of his mares home in foal.
“Our search for a new stallion took four years and we chased War Decree for over 12 months, so we were obviously keen to support him heavily ourselves.
“We’ve got some lovely mares lined up for him this season, including a young half-sister to this season’s Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi, along with black-type producing mares Mystique, Dolly’s Wig, Udiditagain and Secret Scent among others.”
Lady Bethany romps home at Murray Bridge
Lady Bethany, who raced in New Zealand as Bethany, showed her potential when racing away to a comfortable 10 length victory over 1400m at Murray Bridge on Wednesday.
The daughter of Niagara had eight starts in New Zealand for five placings and was sent across the Tasman to Michael Hickmott earlier this year to tackle some Australian spoils.
“She is owned by Trish Dunell, who along with her husband Graham Mackie are very good friends of mine in New Zealand,” Hickmott said.
He was a bit apprehensive heading into Wednesday’s contest after his stable was ravaged by a virus.
“They sent her across and I thought I would qualify her for the provincial super series, either the 1800m or 1400m final,” Hickmott said.
“She ran here first-up the other day and I was gutted. I know the track didn’t play well but she went horrendous (finishing fifth).
“Subsequent to that I had a pretty bad virus go through the stable and came here today a little bit gun shy, knowing how good she works and what she shows at home, but she probably should be beating horses like that on her good Kiwi form.”
Lady Bethany will now head for a spell after performing well over a lengthy campaign.
“Trish just called me before, she said I have got no choice, she will be going to the paddock,” he said.
“She wants her to have a little break now, she had a big time of it in New Zealand and came across here and she has fought off a few bugs.”
