BELLA KEEPS PARKER STABLE FLAG FLYING HIGH

KEMBLA Grange trainer Kerry Parker was out of luck in town yesterday – but a consistent mare kept the stable flag flying at home.

La Bella Bondi ($4.20) gave Parker his third winner of the new season when she took the Class 1 Handicap (1200m).

The four-year-old daughter of Pierata, who was a $60,000 Inglis Premier yearling purchase and began her career with the late Ben Smith, wasn’t the best away but responded gamely in the straight to defeat Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft’s $2.45 favorite Royal Bombardier and Girls Weekend ($11).

Parker not only was pleased to get another win for La Bella Bondi’s owners, but also winning jockey Adrian Layt.

“Adrian has been coming to Kembla Grange some mornings to ride work, and has been on this mare in her barrier trial and now her four races this preparation,” he said today.

“It was good to be able to reward him with this win.

“La Bella Bondi isn’t a big mare, but tries hard.”’

Parker went to Rosehill Gardens hoping to get a successful city debut and clinch a hat-trick with his lightly-raced four-year-old Wild Thoughts.

However, the So You Think gelding ran seventh as a $3.70 favorite to Starphistocated in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m), and his jockey Jay Ford afterwards said he raced flat.

“Wild Thoughts has come to the end of his first racing preparation, and done a good job with two wins at home from his first four starts,” Parker said.

“I was happy early in the race yesterday but knew not long afterwards that he wasn’t going well.

“I intended to spell him anyway irrespective of how he performed yesterday.”

Parker also ran sixth with Justela ($61) in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1500m) won by Wyong trainer Denim Wynen after his mare gave a ton of cheek up front and ran her best race this time in work.

With yesterday’s results behind him, he is now looking forward to kicking off his Wagga Cup winner Flying Bandit’s spring campaign at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The now five-year-old, who has won six of his 13 starts, will contest a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1600m), with regular rider Jay Ford aboard.

Parker also is looking to run Flying Bandit at Randwick again in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) on September 20 as his lead-up to the $750,000 Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) there on October 4.

. Gosford trainer Greg McFarlane was the other provincial trainer to strike winning form at yesterday’s Kembla Grange meeting.

McFarlane’s Orthie’s Boys ($4.80), having only his second start since joining his stable and ridden by apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald, impressively took the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m).

Story John Curtis, August 31, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos