FIVE Wyong trainers cleaned up, winning seven races over four tracks at the weekend.
A pair of “miracle horses” contributed to Kim Waugh clinching a two-track treble at Rosehill Gardens and Kembla Grange on Saturday, Kristen Buchanan and Sara Ryan also successful in town at Rosehill, while Damien Lane ventured back home to land the Coonamble Cannonball at the Showcase meeting on Sunday and Tracey Bartley tasted success at Port Macquarie.
Waugh landed the Rosehill Gardens closer, the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m), with Garrison ($8.50) following earlier Kembla Grange victories in consecutive races with Selfless Act ($7) in the Class 1 Handicap (1200m) and Tinka’s Lad ($10) in the Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1200m).
Buchanan had earlier won the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) with Oakfield Waratah ($9) and Ryan claimed the 1500m BM78 with Attractable.
Lane took a team of horses back to his old stamping ground and was delighted to win the Cannonball (1100m) with Safado ($8.50), while Kissing Supido greeted the judge at Port in the 1200m 3YO Maiden for Bartley.
Dissident four-year-old Oakfield Waratah, raced by Bruce Mackenzie, was given a great ride by apprentice Reece Jones from a wide barrier, and made it two wins from three starts this preparation.
Eight-year-old Safado has had a number of trainers, and the feature Coonamble sprint was his first success for Lane.
I Am Invincible gelding Attractable scored his first win since joining the Ryan stable, the fifth career win for the talented four-year-old.
It was a well deserved win for Bartley's three-year-old Kissing Supido, who was coming off two thirds at Provincial level.
Waugh said both Garrison and Selfless Act were lucky to be racing at all, let alone winning races.
“Garrison has had a lot of issues,” she told the Big Sports Breakfast program on Sky Sports Radio this morning.
“He has had s throat operation, a colic operation and lots of quarter cracks.
“We thought we were going to lose him when he got colic, and still gets little bouts.
“Garrison has really nice ability, is tough and gives 110 per cent in his races.”
With Nash Rawiller in the saddle, Garrison led throughout yesterday and was never in danger of defeat, posting his third win for Waugh (and fifth overall) from 20 starts.
The I Am Invincible five-year-old, raced by a syndicate headed by the trainer’s husband Mark, changed hands online in September 2020 after beginning his career in a leading Sydney stable.
Waugh revealed the well-named Panzer Division three-year-old Selfless Act was left orphaned when her dam St. Therese died a few days after giving birth to her in September, 2019.
“Fortunately, they were able to find a foster mother quite quickly for the filly,” Waugh said.
A daughter of Dehere, St. Therese had previously foaled 2018 Group 1 winner Maid Of Heaven (Spring Champion Stakes at Royal Randwick) and dual Group 1 winner Castelvecchio (2019 Champagne Stakes at Randwick and 2020 Rosehill Guineas).
Selfless Act (Grant Buckley) is raced by Pepper Tree Farm Bloodstock and made it two wins from six starts; her first being in a Newcastle Maiden Plate (1200m) last December.
Tinka’s Lad (Christian Reith), a Myboycharlie five-year-old, is one of those “bread and butter” horses each stable loves, and has now won six races from 25 starts.
“He is owned by a great group of owners, headed by the Ralph Johns family,” Waugh said.
“It’s been a frustrating few weeks with seven placings since our home track double (Super News and Always In) on May 11, but you just have to ride the waves and it has ended well.”
Waugh’s treble took her to 33 wins for the season, and Buchanan’s triumph with Oakfield Waratah was her 29th in 2022-23.
A $175,000 weanling purchase, the four-year-old was the first foal of the Nadeem mare Lucky Can Be, who died in December last year.
“Oakfield Waratah is a lovely horse and very exciting,” Buchanan said. “Who knows where his level is?
“I knew he would get the 1500m, and Reece gave him a a great ride from an awkward barrier and made it look easy.
“Congratulations to Bruce (Mackenzie), who is a great supporter of both myself and fellow Wyong trainer Damien Lane”.
Lane, meanwhile, was delighted to get on the board with rising nine-year-old Safado (carrying the South Sydney Rabbitohs colours), especially after second placings with Bare To Witness ($1.75 favorite) and First Secret ($6.50).
The veteran gelding showed he still has plenty of dash in those legs. Relishing a fast pace, he came from last to overwhelm his Cannonball rivals, with apprentice Madeline Owen aboard.
“Peter Colley has been in this horse right from the start, and bought the others out when they did not want to go on with him and gave him to me to train,” Lane said.
“We’ve had a few placings with Safado, so it was nice to get a breakthrough win with him.
“We didn’t have much luck earlier in the day, but at least we can go home with the feature race.”
*Pics Steve Hart Photographics *
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