WARWICK Farm trainer Steve Englebrecht “returned home” to Muswellbrook on Friday and had his first runner on the track for more than 30 years when Goldfinch (Deanne Panya) won the Lone Pine Charge (1000m) in race record time.
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The wait was well worthwhile with the filly coming within half a second of the track record after leading all the way then fighting off a determined challenge from Epic Dan to grab the lead back near the line and win by half a head.
“She is a filly that tries hard and she has a big heart,” Englebrecht said.
“While she is tall she still has not grown into herself properly and while she is strong now, I think she will strengthen up even further with a spell during winter.”
Englebrecht brought Goldfinch to Muswellbrook to qualify her for a Class Four at Newcastle next month.
“Whether or not she starts will all depend on what weight she gets,” he said.
“If they give her too many benchmark points for this win I will have to look at something else.”
Panya, Goldfinch’s regular rider, let her stride to the lead early and dictate terms to the turn.
In the straight she kicked away then had to hold off Epic Dan, which momentarily got to the lead, before Goldfinch kicked back again near the line.
Her winning time of 56.99 seconds easily eclipsed the previous best for this race of 57.18 seconds set by Fireball.
It was half a second slower than track record but within one hundredth of the time set by Bet Big in winning the 1995 Skellatar Sprint.
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PETER and Paul Snowden sent one horse, World Force, to the meeting and the colt scored an impressive win in the TAB.COM.AU Star Kingdom for two-year-old colts and geldings, also in race record time.
“He will go back home and probably go to a mid-week meeting in town,” stable representative Ben Bloore said.
World Force went into the race with four trials and his best effort in those was a third at Randwick last month hence he started at $14.
“Actually, his trials were quite good,” Bloore said.
“He is a colt that is going to need further later.”
Winona Costin let World Force settle jut off the pace then set out after Jamaican Dream, the leader and heavily backed favourite.
They had a two-horse war down the straight until World Force gained the upper hand in the last 50 metres to win by one and-a-quarter-lengths.
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KRIS Lees also produced another promising filly in Waruna which made it two victories from as many starts in winning the Monteath And Powys Class One (1280m) in the last stride.
She previously won a maiden over 1100 metres at Port Macquarie with Lees admitting she had caught him a little unawares.
“She showed us a bit early on and that is why she ran in that shorter race, but she needed every bit of the 1280 metres to win this race,” he said.
“She is looking for 1600 metres now.
“She is a nice filly and well bred.”
Waruna, under hard riding from Aaron Bullock, grabbed the Paul Perry trained Yeoman on the line to win by a short head.
Ironically both horses are owned by Kia Ora Stud.
The win gave Bullock the second leg of a double and it was a good effort to get the filly over from her wide barrier and into the box seat.
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GIANT seven-year-old Bluesbro, which spent several years of his earlier life in pony club duties, resumed from a spell and carried 59kg to win the Viatek Maiden over an unsuitable 1280 metres.
The gelding, a half brother to Two Blue which won eight races including the 2016 Group Two Sapphire Stakes at Randwick, did not start racing until he was a five-year-old.
“He was a roarer from a young age and Two Blue was starting to show ability, so we decided to tip him out and see how far Two Blue would go,” trainer Kristen Buchanan said.
“Bluesbro wandered around his paddock then we put him into pony club.
“After Two Blue was retired with almost $700,000 in prize money we put some of it towards the throat operation for this horse.
“He is a huge horse, 600kg, but a beautiful horse to do anything with.
“He is built like a stayer and obviously that is where his future lies.
“I am not surprised by this win and it was a great ride from Serg (Lisnyy).”
Bluesbro shared the lead early before Lisnyy settled him back in third place on the fence.
He eased away from the rail then gradually worked his way to the lead to beat Bangkok by one and a half lengths.
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GOSFORD trainer Angela Davies was dressed and ready for the trip to Muswellbrook with Dylan’s Dynasty when one of her horses fell ill.
She was forced to stay behind and look after that horse while her foreman, Peter Brown, brought horse to Muswellbrook and saddled him up.
While Angela watched the race from home Dylan’s Dynasty further underlined his ability with a dominant win in the Horsepower Benchmark (1280m) at his second run back from a spell.
“Angela will be disappointed she is not here,” foreman Peter Brown said.
“The horse was a class above the rest and I think he has a lot of ability.”
Apprentice Chris Williams let Dylan’s Dynasty lead for most of the trip.
He held a narrow advantage approaching the turn but one he had straightened kicked away to win by two and a half lengths from Doosey.
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NEWCASTLE’S Group One winning trainer Benjamin Smith recently received a call from Dynamic Syndications asking if he would take some of their horses.
He agreed and so far he has 13 on his books for them including Chilcotin, which immediately cemented the new relationship by arriving late to win the Godolphin Benchmark 65 (1500m) and give Josh Adams a book end double after winning the first race on She’s Just Sayin.’
“He is only our second runner for Dynamic and our first winner for them,” Smith said.
“I think he is going to get further and should eventually measure up to a mid-week city race.
“I have only had him for three and a half weeks but his work leading into the race was very good.”
Adams settled Chilcotin worse than mid-field, got a split at the top of the straight then just held on against Surjin to win by a neck.
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A CLASS One at the Scone carnival is on the agenda for She’s Just Sayin’ after her strong win in the Widden Stud Maiden (1750m).
The victory came at the 11th start for the filly after failing to even run a place at her previous 10 starts but this win was no surprise to Cessnock-based trainer Alan Smith.
“She has always shown us that she was looking for ground,” Smith said.
“She ran a huge race when fifth at Tamworth at her precious start, so I thought she was a big chance today.
“Josh (Adams) and I have got a great strike race.
“In six rides for me he has booted home four winners.
“There is a Class One at Scone over the carnival that will suit her, but I will see how she recovers from this run first.”
Adams settled the filly in sixth place early, hooked around the leaders at the top of the straight and she ran home strongly to win by two lengths from Fanny Chenal in a time not far outside the class record.