
WYONG’s Anna Roper clinched a city breakthrough on Lady Redwood at Warwick Farm early last month.
Now fellow Kembla Grange apprentice Olivia Chambers is hoping history repeats itself when she ventures back to town tomorrow to ride the underrated mare and hat-trick seeker in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (2400m).
Chambers, 21, apprenticed to leading trainers Rob and Luke Price, made her Sydney Saturday debut at the same track last weekend when third on Discreet Miss ($13) in the Highway Handicap (1200m).
With no local fixture tomorrow (Wyong hosts the provincial meeting), Chambers has two Rosehill bookings.
Before Lady Redwood lines up in the second race, she will partner Spitfire for Goulburn trainer Matthew Dale in the opener, another Benchmark 78 Handicap, but over a shorter 1800m.
Chambers completed her first full season of riding in 2022-23 with 35 winners, and already has 10 on the board in this new season, including a home track success on Brave Agenda for the Price boys last Tuesday.
“I have had only three rides in town, and can still claim 2kg in the country and 3kg at the provincials and metropolitan meetings,” she said today.
“Whilst I’m still focusing on the country and provincial meetings, this was an opportunity too good to pass up tomorrow.
“I ride Lady Redwood work every morning for her trainer Paul Murray, and am really looking forward to riding her in a race for the first time.”
Lady Redwood, a six-year-old mare, was a $15,000 purchase as a 2019 Magic Millions yearling and races in the colours of Gerry Harvey, who owns MM in partnership with his wife Katie Page.
As well as being able to stay, she is versatile.
After scoring for Roper in a Benchmark 72 Handicap (2200m) at Warwick Farm on October 2, Murray freshened her to claim back-to-back victories in a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1900m) at Gosford last Thursday under 60kg, when ridden by Adam Hyeronimus.
Chambers’ 3kg claim means Lady Redwood tumbles to 51.5kg tomorrow to offset the rise in class.
. Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker is the sole provincial trainer with a runner in tomorrow’s $2m Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill.
He is backing up his classy mare Hope In Your Heart, who was totally out of luck in the straight in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday, and has booked Sydney’s jockey of the moment Josh Parr.
After winning the $10m Golden Eagle at Rosehill last Saturday, Parr landed yesterday’s $200,000 Ladies Day Cup (1500m) at Hawkesbury on New Magnate clinching his third victory in the Listed event.
Newcastle’s star apprentice Dylan Gibbons rides Regal Lion for trainer Annabel Neasham. The gelding was first emergency, but secured a start following the withdrawals of Forgot You and Thalassophile.
He also rides beaten Group 3 Breeders Plate (1000m) favorite Scampi for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in the $1m Golden Gift (1100m).
Because of the prizemoney, the first and second placegetters go a long way toward ensuring a start in next autumn’s Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
Rob and Luke Price and Hawkesbury’s Brad Widdup also have Golden Gift contenders.
The Price father and son combination will be represented by Petawawa (Kathy O’Hara), and Widdup by Art’s Alive (Jay Ford).
Both fillies were placed at their respective debuts; Petawawa on the Kensington track on October 25, and Art’s Alive at Warwick Farm 14 days earlier.
*Story John Curtis, November 10, 2023 - Pics supplied*
Comments