BUCHANAN KEEN ON MONA LISA BREAKTHROUGH

IT was 2015 when eight-times winner Two Blue made a valiant attempt to lead all the way in Wyong’shighlight fillies and mares’ event, the Mona Lisa Stakes.

Now 11 years later local trainer Kristen Buchanan is hoping to avenge the mare’s close second to Vergara in the 1350m event by capturing this year’s edition on September 4.

Provided Annie’s Rose’s connections are in agreement, she will line up in the $250,000 Group 3 feature for fillies and mares on the final day of the Gold Cup carnival.

Annie’s Rose staked her claim to give Buchanan an important home track feature breakthrough with an impressive first-up victory at Rosehill Gardens yesterday.

Given a superb ride by Reece Jones, the six-year-old mare, an $11 chance, surged through near the inside to take the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) in an all-double figure odds finish from Kimberley Secrets ($26) and Couples Retreat ($17).

“I expected Annie’s Rose to run well, but at the same time knew the run would bring her on,” Buchanan said today.

“She is set for a very nice campaign.

“I would love to win the Mona Lisa on my home track, and that will be her immediate goal if the owners are happy for me to go that way.”

Buchanan was lavish in her praise of Jones, who had ridden Annie’s Rose before and also was aboard when he won a 1000m trial on her at Gosford on July 22.

“Reece gave her a pearler of a ride yesterday,” Buchanan said.

“When the rail is out a distance at Rosehill, there’s no point trying to go around them.

“I told Reece beforehand to ride her like Lighthouse Lass, on which he won at Rosehill in late June after saving valuable ground near the inside in the straight when the rail also wasout that day.

“I also mentioned not to worry if he didn’t have luck on the mare, but he rode her brilliantly and she was good enough to take full advantage of it.”

Concidentally, Annie’s Rose carried the same saddlecloth number (14) as Lighthouse Lass did when she won on June 27.

Annie’s Rose, a daughter of Golden Slipper winner Sepoy, raced in South Australia and Victoria and won a 3YO Maiden Plate (1000m) at Bendigo in September 2023 before joining Buchanan’s team in late 2024.

She has now won three races with her; two at Rosehill this year and the other in the Wayne Harris Handicap (1280m) at the Muswellbrook Cup meeting in March last year.

Annie’s Rose at least brightened what otherwise was a frustrating day at Rosehill for the Wyong trainer.

Stablemates Hellova Nature ($4.40) had no luck when sixth in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m), and Tambeloa($13) ran ninth in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (2000m).

“Hellova Nature has had a terrific campaign, winning races at Kembla Grange, the Gold Coast and Doomben,” Buchanan said.

“And Tambeloa will be gelded. He has a lot of ability, but needs to have the operation and I’m sure will come back a better horse.”

Buchanan also has spelled her stable warrior, the now nine-year-old Stylebender.

She started the new season the way she finished the old one, clinching a Port Macquarie double the day before Annie’s Rose was successful at Rosehill.

“It wasn’t my best season, but we really started to pick up toward the end of it, and hopefully we can keep the momentum going,” Buchanan said.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, AUGUST 2, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS