LLEWELLYN’S MAIDEN CENTURY ALMOST SET IN “STONE”

NEWCASTLE apprentice Shannen Llewellyn reunited with a “favourite” at home yesterday to move within a solitary win of a career milestone.

Llewellyn’s victory on a resuming Aroha Stone ($3.20 favorite) in the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1350m) on the Beaumont track was her 99^th success, and on the verge of “raising the bat” for a maiden century.

En route to Hawkesbury races today, where she had two rides and finished third on Super Freds in the closer, the 24-year-old said she was thrilled to post her first home track success, especially for her boss, Aroha Stone’s trainer Nathan Doyle.

Understandably, the four-year-old mare is pretty special to the apprentice, who joined Doyle in June.

“I wasn’t here long when I won on Aroha Stone at Gosford on June 19, and then next start was narrowly beaten on her in a midweek race at Warwick Farm,” she said.

“I’ve had only the three rides on her for two wins and that close defeat in town.”

Doyle secured the four-year-old daughter of El Roca for $25,000 as a yearling in New Zealand, and she has now earned just over $112,000 from three wins and five placings.

Star number 13 yesterday proved no barrier for Aroha Stone as Llewellyn got her away smartly, then took a sit behind Edge Of Midnight ($12).

Once the mare hit the front in the straight, the outcome was never in doubt.

Aroha Stone easily defied any of her challengers, comfortably defeating How Much Better ($4.40) and Roses Imminente ($15).

Lismore born, Llewellyn said she always liked horses, but could not afford one of her own until she turned 20 years of age.

She began her career in the country and after having her first ride at Dubbo in February last year, didn’t take long to notch her first winner – on Elson Boy at the same track on March 8.

Llewellyn had a breakout year with 59 winners last season, and Aroha Stone was her 11^th success this season.

. Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees narrowly missed with his smart three-year-old Damien at Doomben yesterday, but was quickly back in winning vein with a double at Rosehill Gardens today.

Lees took the Benchmark 88 Handicap (1100m) with Hawker Hall ($2.35 favorite), and later the Benchmark 78 Handicap (2000m) with Kind Words ($6).

Senior jockeys Kerrin McEvoy and Tim Clark rode Hawker Hall and Kind Words respectively.

Lees hinted at a crack at the 1200m Snippets at the Magic Millions carnival at the Gold Coast in January with the pacy four-year-old Hawker Hall.

HOOFNOTE: Kembla Grange trainer Ross McConville was in the winner’s list interstate yesterday – as an owner.

McConville’s homebred South Of India ($3.30 favorite) led throughout in the Benchmark 100 Handicap (1100m) at the Ballarat Cup meeting.

The gelding relished the soft ground to post his seventh victory at his 18^th start, after winning five in a row at one stage for McConville.

South Of India was recently transferred to Melbourne trainer Dominic Sutton, who prepared the Churchill five-year-old for his Ballarat assignment on the back of a nice 800m jumpout at Flemington on November 21.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, DECEMBER 7, 2025 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS