WYNEN’S MONTH TO REMEMBER

DENIM Wynen won’t want August to end!

The young Wyong trainer keeps only a small team of half a dozen horses in work, and has won four races this month, including two in town.

Considering what Wynen has done in not quite the first month of the new racing season – she trained the same number of winners in the entire 12 months of the season just gone – it’s been a performance to truly savour.

And her August streak might not be over yet.

Wynen is planning to chase another city victory with her last start Rosehill Gardens winner Monkhana at the same track on Saturday in a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1800m).

She claimed her fourth winner in the first 23 days of the 2025-26 racing year by scoring with Alabama Blitz ($3.40) at Newcastle yesterday.

Ridden by Rory Hutchings, Alabama Blitz surged home out wide on the track to take the Class 1 Handicap (1600m) from Hawkesbury pair, Blake Ryan’s Heron ($10) and Mike Van Gestel’s Johnny Smash ($12), the latter gaining third on protest.

Wynen’s earlier season winners were Sunshine Law at Rosehill on August 2, Monkhana at the same track on August 16, and Triple Triple at Wyong a day later.

And whilst it has been a remarkable run for a trainer with only a few horses in work, Wynen says she is not in the least surprised.

“I was very happy with the way our horses were working,” she said today.

“They weren’t quite ready at the end of the last season, but at least we’ve got away well to start the new season.

“It’s been fantastic.”

Hunter insurance brokers, husband and wife Steve and Amanda Morris, boosted Wynen’s small team by purchasing two then three-year-old fillies (both by Alabama Express online through Inglis Digital in May).

“Full credit to Steve,” Wynen said.

“He picked them out, and was initially intending to buy only one of the two mares – both offered by Yulong Investments - but ended up getting both (Sunshine Law and Alabama Blitz were Lots 151 and 152)) for a total of $155,000.

“I am very appreciative of Steve and Amanda for putting their faith in me to train the two ‘girls’.

“I was worried about Alabama Blitz early in the run yesterday, but Rory (Hutchings) knew what he was doing.

“They ran along at a good speed, and Alabama Blitz dug deep.

“Both Sunshine Law and Alabama Blitz (who had run second at Newcastle a fortnight earlier at her first run for her new trainer) will stay in work.

“They have each raced twice for me, and I will space their runs and get more starts with them before they need to have a break.”

Whilst Wynen won’t have a runner at her home track’s second day of the Wyong Gold Cup carnival next Sunday, she is looking forward to taking former New Zealand mare Monkhana back to Rosehill on Saturday.

“Monkhana steps up from 1500m to 1800m, and Anna Roper again will claim 2kg on her,” Wynen said.

Story John Curtis, August 24, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos