THEIR wins were at different tracks on Saturday, but gave their trainers important milestones in their fledgling careers.
Hawkesbury’s Marc Chevalier and Gosford’s Jake Hull are both in only their second full season of training, and have already surpassed their first year performances.
Chevalier’s victory with his form mare Everyone’s A Star ($11) in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens was his eighth of the season, one more than in 2022-23.
Merriwa’s once-a-year meeting enabled Hull to break through with Artie Ag Eitilt ($6) in the Maiden Handicap (1200m); his ninth winner of the current season and also one more than last year.
The pair’s wins led a weekend of nine provincial winners – seven on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Gosford’s Adam Duggan (Diamond Diesel, $10) and Newcastle’s Jason Deamer (Hard To Say, $10) joined Chevalier as Rosehill victors, whilst Kerry Parker (Close Encounter, $8.50), Ben Smith (Ask The Wife, $8) and Rob and Luke Price (Spirit of Varanasi, $16) all were successful at home at Kembla Grange.
Newcastle’s Kris Lees (Bestower, $2.05 favorite) and Wyong’s Kristen Buchanan (Oakfield Badger, $2.50 favorite) prepared Sunday winners at Taree.
It was a case of one good turn deserves another in regard to Chevalier.
His Rosehill triumph with Everyone’s A Star earned him a stable newcomer – courtesy of Sunday’s Inglis HTBA sale at the Riverside complex at Warwick Farm.
Chevalier prepares Everyone’s A Star for a syndicate headed by Penrith medical practitioner Ulysses Crosson, who bought the now four-year-old mare for $15,000 at the same sale two years ago.
At Sunday’s sale, he paid double that amount to secure a North Pacific filly (the first foal of her dam and city winner Only Mine), who will join Chevalier’s team.
“It was good timing indeed to win a Saturday race the day before with Everyone’s A Star,” Chevalier said.
“And it was also good timing that I was able to ‘steal’ a Calyx colt (who was Lot 1) for only $4000 before everyone got there.”
Expatriate Frenchman Chevalier has been in Australia for 13 years, and chose Hawkesbury from which to launch his career.
He has done a terrific job with Everyone’s A Star ($11), whose victory in the Midway Benchmark 72 was her third from her last four starts.
After stringing two midweek wins together on the Kensington track, the Star Turn mare shot up considerably in class and ran an excellent seventh to Wee Nessy in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 13 during The Championships.
Chevalier had earmarked the Rosehill assignment a while back, and Everyone’s A Star (Tyler Schiller) didn’t let him down, overcoming a wide run to defeat Broadway Bouncer ($8) and Sumo Star ($19).
Everyone’s A Star was having her 10th start this preparation – a sure indication of her trainer’ skills.
“She goes on the walker two to three days a week, and canters other days,” Chevalier explained.
“I gallop her 800m on the Polytrack on the Tuesday before she is scheduled to race that weekend.
“Whilst ever she continues to race as well as she is at present, we will keep going and there is a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) at the Scone carnival on May 21 which might suit her.”
Chevalier took over Everyone’s A Star’s preparation from her original Wyong trainer Jeff Englebrecht, who gave her three starts before retiring.
But he has retained a share in the mare, and continues to enjoy her success.
Hull had a Rosehill runner, but prepared the well-named (but hard to pronounce) Artie Ag Eitilt to score first-up at Merriwa at his first start since October.
The Flying Artie four-year-old (Ag Eitilt translates to flying in English) cost owner John O’Connor $140,000 at the 2021 Inglis Ready2Race.
Ridden by apprentice Mitch Stapleford, he defeated $2 favorite Hammoon Summer.
Coincidentally, Hull’s gelding’s dam, the unraced Joseph’s Coat, was sired by the legendary Fastnet Rock, who has just been retired from stud duty.
Story John Curtis, April 29, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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