HE’S RISING NINE – BUT DEFINITELY FULL OF STYLE

HE’S just a gem!

With those words Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan summed up her evergreen gelding Stylebender, who returns to racing at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Newcastle apprentice Shannen Llewellyn has the mount in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m); her 3kg city allowance lessening his weight to 57.5kg.

Buchanan has done a superb job with Stylebender, winning eight races with him since joining her stable three years ago after the New Zealand-bred gelding had raced 28 times for one win (at Kembla Grange in a 2000m Maiden Plate in June 2021 on a heavy track) and six minor placings.

But she had a tough phone call to make to his owners Michael and Michelle Kelly before she could put her own imprint on the gelding.

“After discovering Stylebender was a Grade 5 roarer (serious wind infirmity), I had to tell Michael and Michelle that he needed surgery to be a racing proposition,” she said today.

“It’s never fun making such a call, but they were very understanding.

“I have really enjoyed the challenge of getting him going again.

“Stylebender is just a gem. He is regarded as king around our stable.

“He is such a trier and gives 110 per cent every time he goes out to race.

“I can understand why there were thoughts of Derbies with him as a three-year-old.

“He is a genuine stayer and versatile, and can handle all types of tracks, having won on good, soft and heavy ground.”

Not only has Buchanan won eight races with Stylebender – but three of them have come in town from his last five starts.

She gave him a break after he finished fourth in a 2400m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Warwick Farm on April 15, and he put on weight.

So much so that she was compelled to give him a 1000m trial at Gosford on May 18 before taking him back to the races.

“Because of the break between runs I would have preferred him to resume on a soft track on Saturday, but that isn’t likely to be the case (Rosehill today was rated a ‘Heavy 10’ with more rain predicted).

“Still I know he will give his very best.

“Shannen (Llewellyn) rode Stylebender beautifully to win on him over 2200m at Warwick Farm in early April, and she is riding so well.”

Whilst Stylebender is lining up for his 55^th start and is rising nine years of age, Buchanan doesn’t view him as being old.

“Not at all,” she said.

“When he finally had his first start for me in September 2024, he hadn’t raced for 15 months,” she said.

Buchanan has the Grafton Cup (2350m) in July in mind for Stylebender, but is taking it one race at a time with him.

“Whilst ever he continues to race as well as he is doing, then I would like to get him to the Grafton Cup,” she said.

“But if he doesn’t run consistently, we’ll know it’s time to stop.”

. Buchanan cancelled plans to have a crack at Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm with Tambeloa after he had a temperature spike earlier in the week.

“Thankfully it didn’t happen whilst he was on his way back to Brisbane,” she said.

“All going well, there’s a nice race for him at Royal Randwick on Saturday week.”

STORY JOHN CURTIS, MAY 28, 2026