Tango Express jumped well from gate ten in in the fourth at Mornington yesterday. She pushed forward and settled handy in the 1000 metre race. Well rated by Jade Darose, the Ricky Maund trained mare stole a break in the straight to find the line a length in front of her closest rival.
Tango Express by Success Express out of Entrepreneur mare Entango was bred at Lauriston.
Trainer, Neville Saunders opted to kick off Lonaro’s preparation with
two lead up trials. “He won them with his head on his chest – I’m struggling to find any chinks in his armour.” Lonaro’s track work always hinted toward his potential, however he has not delivered when it mattered. That is, until he stepped out in the fourth at Toowoomba yesterday – a maiden over 1100 metres. Lonaro demonstrated that he had returned from his long lay-off in tremendous order – and perhaps had matured in to a real race horse.
After the jump, jockey Kirsty Banks guided Lonaro to the rail with cover, and then at the turn, peeled from the back of the leaders and quickly found the front. Pukekura Boy emerged from the pack and for a moment loomed as a threat, however Lonaro knuckled down in the closing stages and was doing his best work on the line, drawing away, to win by more than two lengths from Pukekura Boy. and more than six lengths from the Third placed Yo’s Selection.
“Levant has had a long preparation and whatever happens today”, advised trainer Eric Musgrove, “we’ll give him a well earned break.” He raced in the eighth at Wangaratta – a 0-68 rating race over 1107m. Power Plant was sent out at $1.60, and from the inside gate worked to the lead to keep out second favourite – Sandler. Levant ridden by Eddie Cassar settled midfield on the fence. Although trying to steady the tempo mid race, the two leaders worried each other. Prior to the turn, Eddie hooked Levant out and encouraged the gelding to begin his run. Just inside him Enimigo joined him and the two set out after the tiring leaders. Neck and neck down the straight, Levant bobbed when it mattered and won in a photo. Power Plant held on for a half length third.
It was Levant’s fourth career win. “He’s been desperately unlucky this time in – he really deserved this win. It’s a good note to go to the paddock on.”
Levant, who was bred at Lauriston, is by Rubiton out of Sea Zephyr.
Arctic Command won the 1000m Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate for 2yos on Emirates Stakes day at Flemington just one year after his half-brother General Truce had achieved the same feat. The chestnut had drawn the grand stand barrier, and that is where jockey Dale Smith took him. Just after settling, a seagull swooped and slammed in to the gelding, before bouncing off in to the lap of Glen Boss. To his credit, Arctic Command did not flinch, and continued with the job at hand. The field had split and Arctic Command was always on the pace on the grand stand side. Dale Smith drove him to the line to hold off the fast finishing David Hayes trained colt, Aashiq.
Arctic Command is trained by Wendy Kelly. His lead up included an impressive four length win in an 800 metre barrier trial at Cranbourne on October 12 and an unlucky first start fourth in the Inglis banner race on Cox Plate day. Wendy now plans to give Arctic Command a break before aiming him at the Group 1 Blue Diamond next February. Wendy first spotted the chestnut at Lauriston farm. At the Inglis premier sale, her husband Kevin, made it known just how much he liked the colt. “I don’t care about his pedigree – Look at him, not his page!” The yearling was purchased for $55,000.
Arctic Command
Initially, Arctic Command did not make it in to the
Inglis Premier sales catalogue. The mare’s page and stallion selection were not deemed commercial. However, General Truce won the Maribyrnong Plate and the Freeze colt received a late call up. Had he not made it in to the sale he would possibly have joined Lauriston’s racing team, as did General Truce. “He would have looked great in the orange and green” suggested Tanith O’Brien, tongue-in-cheek after his win on Saturday. “But really I am very happy for Wendy Kelly and the connections. They have always spoken so fondly about him – he couldn’t be with better people”.
Many others at the Inglis sale were equally impressed and the big chestnut. He spent more time out of his box than inside it. “He has a terrific temperament and he carries this confident “look at me” air about him that makes him very attractive” said Lauriston’s Thoroughbred Farm manager, Paul Eden. His preparation and presentation is a huge credit to Paul and Kathy Eden and the team at Lauriston.
General Resolve’s family can be traced to Marscay stallions Jetball and Marwina, and was largely the motivation behind the decision to partner her with Freeze. Freeze is by Marscay and from Snowdrift. His siblings include Group 1 winner Snowland, Group 2 winner and Golden Slipper placegetter Portillio, Snippetson and others.
General Truce
Interestingly, even though Freeze and General Resolve are bays, Arctic Command, like Jetball, is a chestnut.
Prior to Saturday General Resolve had produced three foals – all winners with six figure earnings.
Her first foal, Complete Control (by Rubiton) was a first start winner at Seymour, before beating Golden Slipper placegetter Portillio in a trial. She has been placed against subsequent Group 1 winners Estee and Sousa and was runner up in the Adelaide 2yo Magic Millions to Augusta Proud.
General Resolve’s second foal, General Truce, has also been competitive at the elite level. Along with winning the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate, he was runner up in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude and was a fast finishing third behind Black Caviar in the Group 2 WFA Schillaci stakes in October.
On Sunday at 6:45AM, less than 24 hours after Arctic Command’s win in the Maribyrnong Plate, General Resolve had her fourth foal – A filly by Testa Rossa. The filly has been nick named Kelly.
Photographs by Bruno Cannatelli
Earlier this year in January, in her first race start, at Bairnsdale over 1600 metres, Spy Catcher finished a barn storming second. However, overstretching, she succumbed to injury. On melbourne Cup day, one operation and ten months later Spy Catcher returned to the same track and distance for her second career start. Michael Carson positioned her on the rails, with cover before weaving through traffic. Spy
Catcher went one better, spacing her rivals and drawing away on the line to win by a length. It was a promising return for the grey Toubougg mare. Spy Catcher is halfsister to the well performed race mare, Rendzina.
Canadian Joy jumped well from the Toowoomba inside gate. Jockey, Phillip Wolfgram allowed Mayamac to cross and lead so that the grey gelding could settle in the box seat. Pushing out at the turn, Canadian Joy effortlessly drew level with Mayamac. The two headed for the post, with only Camphor, running on from the rear of the class 3 1050m field looking a threat. Mayamac did not hand the lead to Canadian Joy and fought back to make it a neck and neck battle down the straight. In the closing stages Phillip lifted the 4yo over the line to just edge out Mayamac while Camphor, who tired on his run, finished 2 lengths away in third. It was the third career win for the Neville Saunders trained gelding.
Rapidement was terrific in her first start this preparation, last Saturday on Bairnsdale Cup day. The Iglesia mare over raced for jockey Jade Darose in the early stages of the race but upon straightening found the line confidently to win by a length. Rapidement’s time for the 1000 metre event was just 0.22 seconds from the Bairnsdale course record. The five year old mare appears to be in career best form. She has now won on three occasions in her last seven starts for trainer
Ricky Maund.
Brereton (Black Hawk x Mighty Atalanta)
Lauriston broodmare, Mighty Atalanta, was a five time winner herself. As a broodmare she had already produced one winner – Elimination. Elimination has won four races to date. Last weekend, Mighty Atalanta, who has only had three of her progeny to race, produced her second winner … and her third.
Atlantique won her trial, before stepping out in the last at Toowoomba, a maiden over 1050m, on Saturday 25 September. With the wide gate, jockey Phillip Wolfgram settled the Desert Sun mare just off the early
leader. Upon straightening she found the lead. Nothing passed her. It was only her sixth start and her first with the Neville Saunders team. Atlantique became Lauriston’s thirty second bred individual winner.
Not to be out done Atlantique’s half-brother, Brereton stepped out at Albury on Monday 27 September over 1400m. Leading throughout he extended his lead to win by 4.3 lengths. Brereton was ridden by Andrew Bloomfield and trained by Peter Bloomfield at Narrandera. Owner Reg Williams was always confident about the gelding’s ability and Brereton’s dominant performance certainly justified Reg’s faith in him. Brereton is Lauriston’s thirty third bred individual winner.
Whisprian, confidently ridden by Phillip Wolfgram, led from the outset in the QTIS maiden over 1300 metres at Toowoomba last night. She was never headed and won by more than a length. The Mossman filly became trainer
Trainer, Neville Saunders has always had a good opinion of Projects, a 3yo gelding by Show A Heart. “He’s just a bit immature. He’ll make a good horse when the penny drops”. The penny seemed to drop last Saturday. Phillip Wolfgram had him perfectly positioned in the box seat behind the early leaders. A gap opened at the top of the straight and Phillip urged the gelding through. He won the 1100 metre QTIS 3yo maiden by nearly seven lengths. “It was a dominant display. Hopefully he can produce that form on grass. I think he may be city class,” added
Neville.
Projects is out of Knowledge mare, Our Teacher ‘s Pet, a half-sister to Blue Diamond winner, Reward For Effort. Projects was bred by Epic Farm in Lennox Head on the north east coast of NSW.
