HAT-TRICK SEEKER MRS FLANDERS BREATHING EASIER

MRS Flanders is breathing easier, and so is her trainer Kerry Parker.

The multiple Group 1 winning Kembla Grange horseman heads to Hawkesbury tomorrow chasing a hat-trick with the mare in the Blakes Marine Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).

Mrs Flanders, a four-year-old daughter of Anders, cost Tricolours Racing $60,000 as a 2024 Inglis Classic yearling, and had trialled on six occasions for a major Sydney stable without going to the races before being transferred to her new trainer last year.

“I had never trained for Tricolours before they gave me three horses, although I did train a horse for one of their owners,” Parker said today.

“Though Mrs Flanders ran second at Hawkesbury last December at her first preparation for me (and also at Newcastle in January), she wasn’t able to breathe properly.

“I recommended to Tricolours that she undergo throat surgery, and they agreed to do that earlier this year.

“It has certainly made a difference, and she is racing really well with a placing at Newcastle on August 1, and then easy wins at Moruya at her next two starts.”

Brock Ryan rode Mrs Flanders in those two hollow victories (six lengths and nearly five lengths), but Parker has booked last season’s champion Sydney apprentice Siena Grima for the Hawkesbury assignment.

“Mrs Flanders is tiny, and I wanted to claim because of her 59.5kg,” he said.

“Siena claimed 2kg at the provincials when I booked her, and now she is down to 1.5kg, but it’s better than nothing.”

Mrs Flanders has burnt her rivals off their legs in 1010m and 1020m romps on August 16 and 28 on ‘Heavy 8’ and ‘Soft 5’ ground respectively, but that won’t be the case tomorrow.

However, Parker’s concern is the extra distance more so than a firmer surface.

“Mrs Flanders has been beating up country rivals, and now has to go back to the provincials at 1100m,” he said.

“Still she is in good order, and deserves her chance in better company.”

Mrs Flanders is a younger half-sister to fellow Kembla Grange trained (Mitch Beer and George Carpenter) Girls Weekend (by Headwater), who has won three races.

Interestingly, her only previous start at Hawkesbury – on December 14 last year – was when she split the Brad Widdup pair Seven Days (winner) and Mind Ya Bizz (third) in a 1000m Midway Maiden Plate.

The latter has gone to new heights this preparation, winning three of her last five starts, culminating with a successful protest victory in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 15 before going for a break.

Whilst Mrs Flanders was a $4.40 second favorite with TAB.com.au this morning, Parker’s other Hawkesbury representative Vieste (Jay Ford) is at the other end of the scale in the Brad Widdup Racing Benchmark 64 Handicap (2000m).

The six-year-old mare is the $51 outsider, and needs to show sharp improvement to figure in the finish.

As Parker attempts to stretch Mrs Flanders out to a winning distance, so too is another multiple Group 1 winner, Hawkesbury trainer Garry Frazer.

He has Binkou in the same race as Vieste at a distance which the gelding has never been successful at, though he has been placed twice at 2000m.

Binkou’s five wins have been between 1350m and 1880m, and his two placings at 2000m were both at Hawkesbury in March and September last year.

The seven-year-old is in good form again at home, scoring over 1800m on August 11 in a Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap before finishing second to My Charm in another 1800m Benchmark 64 nine days later.

Grant Buckley has ridden Binkou in two of his three wins for Frazer, and has the mount again.

The rail is out 4m from the 1100m to 450m, and in the TRUE position for the remainder of the track. Course manager Digby Nuthall at 8am today posted a ‘Good 4’ rating for the eight-race program, which begins at 1.00pm.

A total of 17mm of irrigation (nil in the previous 24 hours) has been put on the track in the past week, and no rainfall has been recorded in the same period. STORY BY JOHN CURTIS, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026. PIC BRADLEY PHOTOS.