THIS MARE DEFINITELY GLITTERS FOR HAWKESBURY COUPLE

WHO says all that glitters isn’t gold?

Octogenarian Hawkesbury trainer Mike Van Gestel begs to differ, especially after his tough mare Dark Glitter hoisted him back into the city winning list at Rosehill Gardens yesterday.

A $14 chance (double those odds were bet) and ridden by apprentice Anna Roper, Dark Glitter spoiled the party for favorite backers when she steamed past Smashing Time ($2.70) in the Benchmark 88 Handicap (1200m).

That was her sixth victory and, coupled with 11 minor placings, boosted her earnings to nearly $650,000.

Pretty good indeed for a homebred.

Van Gestel and his wife Louisa had intended to buy a filly by Golden Slipper winner Vancouver at the 2018 Inglis Australian Broodmare & Weanling sale in Sydney.

Whilst the couple missed out on the filly (who was sold to New Zealand interests for $50,000 and raced as Sakura Blossom), instead they took home a Bernardini mare for $12,000.

That decision has turned out to be a ripper.

Berning Affair was in foal to Press Statement, and the foal, the now seven-year-old No Statement, has won 14 races.

The Van Gestels bred Dark Glitter by mating Berning Affair with Spieth, and subsequently sold their broodmare to Gerry Harvey, who sent her New Zealand in 2023.

Van Gestel was invited to offer Dark Glitter as a future broodmare at the Inglis Chairman’s sale in early May.

Whilst she wasn’t far away from reaching her reserve price of $350,000, the Van Gestels took her home.

“We weren’t disappointed; we like her too much anyway,” Van Gestel said.

Yesterday’s race was the weakest in terms of class Dark Glitter has contested in quite some time, and smart punters obviously warmed to her chances because of that, hence her $31 opening price firmed by post time.

Winning ride Roper said she had probably ridden the mare a bit too close at Royal Randwick a fortnight earlier when fourth in a Benchmark 94 Handicap (1200m), and went back yesterday, enabling the mare to unleash a brilliant turn of foot in the straight.

Van Gestel says he has some thinking to do in regard to Dark Glitter’s immediate future.

“I’m not sure whether to breed from her in the new season, or give her a break and keep going for another 12 months,” he said.

“Even if we decide to breed with her in the coming season, she can still race on for a while before pulling up stumps.”

Dark Glitter was only the trainer’s second winner of the current season; quite a distance apart from his first (No Statement at Newcastle last August).

But he has only three horses; Dark Glitter, No Statement and four-year-old Johnny Smash.

. Whilst Van Gestel was back in the winning list, fellow Hawkesbury trainer Fabio Martino has continued easily his best season to date.

Spartus (Jean Van Overmeire) gave him his 11^th success in 2025-26 by taking the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m) at Wyong yesterday.

“Spartus is raced by main client Spartus Bloodstock,” Martino said today.

“He was previously trained in Brisbane by Tony Gollan, and Spartus decided to give me a chance with him.

“I don’t know if a horse has tried harder than Spartus yesterday.

“He really stretched his neck, and it was great to see him break through for us.”

Whilst Martino is understandably thrilled with his results this season, he isn’t resting on his laurels.

He intends testing last start impressive Kembla Grange winner All Star in city class either at Canterbury on Wednesday or Royal Randwick on Saturday, and also taking recent Canberra winner Olivia Mia back there on Wednesday in search of another success on the ACTON (synthetic) track.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JULY 5, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS