MARK Goodfellow didn’t have to look far when he needed a trainer for an unraced and unnamed four-year-old mare he had bought online.
Being a former trainer at Kembla Grange himself, he approached four-times Group 1 winning local Kerry Parker – and the winners have flowed.
Now six years of age, Justela ($20) extended her winning tally to five by landing the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m) at the track on Saturday, providing her trainer with “bragging rights” to a battle of the locals.
Eleven Kembla Grange-trained horses – including a Parker trio – were saddled up, and the major end of the prizemoney stayed at home.
Given a perfect ride by Jay Ford, Justela won easily from Miss Hades ($6) and another local, Theresa Bateup’s Direct Fire ($8.50).
Goodfellow trained at Kembla Grange between 1984 and 1996 before handing in his licence to then chairman of stewards John Shreck.
“Kerry was always very helpful,” Goodfellow said on Sunday. “We shared a barn and work riders.
“He is not only a very good trainer, but also a champion bloke.
“I never had more than six horses in work and whilst I won races, had never trained a city winner.
“So it was fantastic to win my first with Kerry and my mates at this metropolitan meeting.
“I had both a full-time job as well as training at the time and it became too much, so I stopped with the horses.
“Nowadays, I’m happy chasing cattle around on a farm at Kiama.”
Goodfellow had seen an unraced Justela and immediately took a shine to her.
“She is a real athlete, and the closest I’ve seen to the champion Winx,” he said.
“When I bought her online in September 2022 (for a moderate four-figure amount), I got some of my mates to race her with me.
“It was such a big thrill to win at Kembla Grange’s biggest raceday of the year.”
Parker trained his 10th winner of the season, and was surprised at Justela’s double figure odds.
“She had been set for this race at The Gong meeting, as were many other locals, and her first-up fourth at Rosehill Gardens over 1300m earlier in the month was really good,” Parker said.
“We were happy to take the $20.”
Justela, a daughter of Group 1 runner-up (2014 Sires Produce Stakes at Royal Randwick) Odyssey Moon and former Newcastle mare Just Pamela (who raced only three times and was retired from breeding in June this year), did not begin racing until Anzac Day at Gosford last year when fourth in a Midway Maiden Handicap (1200m).
She returned to Gosford a few starts later to break through in a 1600m Maiden Plate as an odds-on favorite, and subsequently has won at Wyong (1600m), Sapphire Coast (1408m) and
Kembla Grange (1500m) prior to notching a metropolitan breakthrough on Saturday.
Parker’s home track success followed a victory two days earlier with Tom Cruising, who as an $80,000 yearling was a considerably dearer buy than Justela.
Tom Cruising, a four-year-old son of American Pharaoh, took a Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m) at Hawkesbury at $16.
It was his second win, having broken through in a Wyong Provincial Maiden Plate (1600m) in February, and Parker tested him in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens in March before turning him out.
“Tom Cruising is raced by Christine Johnston on her own, so the more we can win with him the better,” Parker said.
Parker is spelling both his talented four-year-olds, lightly-raced pair Flying Bandit and Well Timed.
He resisted the temptation to chase a hat-trick with promising stayer Flying Bandit after recent 2000m and 1800m wins at Hawkesbury and Randwick, whilst Well Timed won races at Randwick over 1200m and 1400m in August and September.
Story John Curtis, November 24, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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