RANDWICK TRIUMPH A “PRELUDE” TO JOINING NEW TEAM

A Royal Randwick victory is good at any time – but it could not have been more appropriate for Shannen Llewellyn yesterday.

On the eve of linking with champion trainer Ciaron Maher’s Sydney stable, the 25-year-old Newcastle apprentice won the Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) on comeback import Eliyass at $26.

Llewellyn will transfer next week from Nathan Doyle to join Maher’s team on a three months’ loan.

This was only her second winner for Maher; the first being Cherish Me at the Kensington track over 1400m on June 10.

That was one of her seven metropolitan winners in her maiden season riding in Sydney after breaking through on Duvana for Doyle at Warwick Farm on Australia Day in January.

“I haven’t had a lot of rides for Ciaron, but it was nice to get the opportunity to ride Eliyass for him yesterday, and of course even better to win the race,” Llewellyn said thus morning on a rare free Sunday raceday.

“He’s such a tough horse, and did a terrific job.”

Llewellyn revealed that she got a late message from Maher via his Sydney assistant trainer Joh Gerard-Dubord in regard to riding tactics.

‘I was just going through the tunnel on the way out to the track when Joh ran after me,” she said.

‘He told me Ciaron wanted Eliyass to lead, so that’s what I did.”

Eliyass, who was having only his second start for Maher after a lengthy break during which he underwent surgery on both front fetlocks, responded to the young jockey’s front-running ride to defeat the Chris Waller pair Matusalem ($16) and $2.15 favorite Tazima.

In doing so, he again proved his liking for Randwick, though scuppering the hopes of many TAB quaddie players in the opening leg.

Since coming from France as a six-times winner, the now eight-year-old gelding’s four victories in his adopted country have all been at Sydney racing’s headquarters.

Until yesterday, his first three had been at 2000m, including the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes there in September 2024.

He then ran third in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington before finishing seventh in Duke De Sessa’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m).

Llewellyn, who plans to move to Sydney on Sunday unless she has important commitments at Wyong’s first meeting of its three-day Cup carnival, is in for a busy week.

She is off to Dubbo tomorrow to partner Wyong trainer Allan Kehoe’s pair Shaggy and Prince Of Sorts in respective Dubbo Cup Sprint and Dubbo Cup Preludes, and then Hawkesbury on Tuesday, without being fully aware of bookings at Canterbury on Wednesday and Newcastle on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan was the “in the purple” at Muswellbrook today.

Buchanan landed the Queen Of The Valley Matchmaker – a 1280m Benchmark 66 Handicap for fillies and mares – with Purple Rose.

Ridden by apprentice Olivia Chambers, Purple Rose ($2.40) defeated leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Lune D’Excellence ($15) to post her third success.

The five-year-old mare was having only her second start since joining Buchanan’s team from a Sydney table.

Fellow Wyong trainer Shaun Harvey added another win to his tally when Invasive Dreams (apprentice Jasmine Urquhart-Warren) took the 1500m Benchmark 66 Handicap at $5.

It was the mare’s fifth victory – and two have been at Muswellbrook.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, AUGUST 9, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS