MINERVINI HOPING HE’S FOUND A REPLACEMENT FOR QUICK TEMPO

MARK Minervini was driving to the races at Wyong yesterday wondering how he could find a replacement for his retired sprinter Quick Tempo.

That query may well have been answered a couple of hours later when recent acquisition, lightly-raced three-year-old Pratt, made it two wins in a row for the Newcastle trainer’s stable.

Ridden by Newcastle apprentice Ben Osmond, who later completed a double on his master Kris Lees’ evergreen French Marine ($5) in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m), Pratt ($3.40) outsped his rivals in the Midway Class 1 Handicap (1000m), defeating fellow Newcastle trainer Paul Perry’s Harlex ($2.40 favorite).

“Quick Tempo was retired last week with a suspensory problem,” Minervini said this morning.

“He was an absolute champion to our stable (earning just over $500,000 including city successes and was also Group 3 placed), and we have found a good home for him.

“We were talking about how we might find a replacement for him on the way to Wyong.”

Quick Tempo, a $20,000 yearling purchase, won his first five races at four different tracks, so Pratt (who initially fetched $270,000 as a 2023 Inglis Australian Easter yearling and had three unplaced starts for a leading Sydney stable) still has a way to go – but is heading in the right direction.

“When I bought him online in February for $45,000 on the recommendation of Damien Fitton (who assists with programming and jockey bookings), I thought we might have been paying a bit too much and that we were getting a 1400m-1600m horse,” Minervini said.

“But he’s a different horse. We’ve found out he wants to run and you never know what the ceiling might be with him.

“I don’t think I’ve had a faster horse out of the barrier.

“He won that race at Wyong in the first 50 yards with his dynamic speed.

“Pratt has settled in well to his new surroundings, and Ben (Osmond) said afterwards to keep him around 1000m.”

Minervini intends chasing a hat-trick with the three-year-old son of Exceed And Excel back at Wyong on June 24 in a Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m).

Minervini’s success with Pratt, his 19th of the season and 495th of his career, was one of five for provincial trainers on the eight-race holiday weekend program.

Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan kept the local flag flying by scoring with Stylebender ($6) in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (2000m), Hawkesbury trainers Brad Widdup and Ed O’Rourke won with Diamond Show ($2.80 favorite) and Shalaa Jet ($11) respectively, and Minervini’s fellow Newcastle trainer Kris Lees followed his trio of winners (including the Queensland Oaks with You Wahng) on Saturday by clinching an eighth career victory with seven-year-old gelding French Marine.

Stylebender’s stout staying performance gave Buchanan her 18th season winner, and she would like to take him back to town for a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap over 2000m – but there isn’t one available in the near future.

Buchanan was given the Tavistock gelding to train after kicking off with a Sydney stable, and has done a terrific job, winning three races with him along with six placings from 13 starts in the last nine months.

“He’s a quirky horse but very genuine,” she said today.

“Stylebender deserved that win yesterday as he has been racing so well.

“After winning at Muswellbrook over 1500m early last month, he finished a close third over 1600m at Hawkesbury.

“I took him to Canterbury for a midweek Benchmark 64 Handicap (1900m), and it was a forget run.

“He got bailed up behind a wall of horses in the straight, and never got a really good crack at them.

“I won’t hesitate to take him back to town whilst these wet tracks are around, but unfortunately there isn’t a Midway over 2000m on a Saturday programmed for the rest of the season, so we’ll have to find something else which is suitable.”

Winning rider Jay Ford took any bad luck out of the equation yesterday by making his move on Stylebender approaching the 600m to take the lead on the home turn.

Stylebender wouldn’t surrender in the straight and gamely held out challenges from placegetters Whetu ($6) and Avion Fury ($10).

Story John Curtis, June 9, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos