McCONVILLE’S MAIDEN DOUBLE ONE HE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER

ROSS McConville could not have hoped for a better outcome!

The Kembla Grange trainer clinched his first double on his home track today – and fittingly the first of his winning duo was named after a local legend with whom he was closely associated.

McConville understandably took great delight in landing the 4YO & Up Maiden Plate (1600m) with $16 chance Gwendie (Chad Lever), whom he purchased and named after the late iconic Kembla Grange trainer Gwenda Markwell.

He stepped in as trainer after Markwell, who was champion trainer at her home track on no less than 18 occasions and was one of the first inductees into Illawarra Turf Club’s Hall of Fame Legends, lost a battle with cancer in October 2022.

McConville bought Gwendie at a dispersal sale following the death in 2021 of prominent breeder-owner Ross Williams, who raced his horses under the Superhorse banner and for whom Markwell won the Group 1 ATC Derby at Royal Randwick with Angel Of Truth in 2019.

There was a special attachment to purchasing the unraced and now four-year-old daughter of Hallowed Crown.

Gwendie is the first foal of the Nicconi mare Mandylion, with whom Markwell won a heat of the then Provincial (now Provincial-Midway) Championships in 2018 at her home track.

“I bought her online when a lot of Ross Williams’ horses were put up for sale, named her after Gwenda and naturally gave her the filly to train,” McConville said this evening.

“She was with Gwenda for only six months before she passed away.”

McConville, who races Gwendie under his Tullimbar Pty Ltd banner, said he had been trying to get a breakthrough with the mare and was thrilled to see shed her maiden status.

“Unfortunately Gwenda didn’t live to see Gwendie race as she didn’t start her career until May last year as a late three-year-old (when placed at Newcastle at $61),” he said.

“Gwendie has been a slow maturer like the breed and I feel she will manage even further than today’s 1600m.

“She usually likes to get outside horses when making her run, and I was a bit concerned when she drew the inside barrier.

“However Chad gave her a great ride hugging the rails and got her out into the open at exactly the right time.”

Lever took Gwendie around the heels of front-runner Rush Fortyfive ($13), and his task was made so much easier when sadly Footstepsonthemoon ($26), who had come off the inside on the turn to try to challenge the leader, broke down badly near the 400m and subsequently was humanely euthanased.

That gelding’s misfortune enabled Gwendie a “mile” of room, and she hit the front and then held off fancied pair Unusual Prospect ($1.95 favorite) and Money Wheel ($3.60) to score at her eighth start after four placings.

McConville completed his maiden double when stable stalwart C’mon Mate ($3.90) edged out $16 chance Shot Out in the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1300m).

Apprentice Anna Roper’s 1.5kg claim proved decisive in a tight finish as the runner-up had 4kg less.

A five-year-old son of Divine Prophet, C’mon Mate also started off with Markwell, who trialled him at Rosehill Gardens five months before she died, and McConville has trained the gelding for all 25 starts.

Whilst this was only his third win – all at home - he has been placed 12 times (seven of them seconds).

C’mon Mate was successful at $11 in a Class 1 Handicap (1300m) on December 28, and then finished fifth as a $2.80 favorite in a Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1200m) a week later, also at home.

McConville conceded the gelding may not have handled the back-up, and the 25-day break between runs enabled him to freshen up nicely.

Meanwhile, jockey Chad Lever also posted a double, scoring earlier on his wife, Hawkesbury trainer Claire Lever’s horse Another Fortune at $26.

The four-year-old son of Cox Plate winner Adelaide relished a fast pace to overpower fellow Hawkesbury pair Royal Bombardier ($3.60) and $1.90 favorite Eastern Front in the Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1200m) at his first start since being runner-up with a big weight (60.5kg) at Moruya last August.

Story John Curtis, January 29, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos