11-length debut winner Ninja passes city test with narrow win at Rosehill
This was the often difficult transition to metropolitan class Ninja was able to negotiate successfully when he held on for a narrow win in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens.
Trainer Michael Freedman had deliberately downplayed Ninja's huge maiden win but he was more effusive in his praise for the emerging three-year-old sprinter after his city success.
'While the margin wasn't great and we certainly wouldn't want it over again, I thought there was a lot of merit in it and he's a horse with a future,'' Freedman said.
'I don't care what anybody says, even though the margin was big the other day, it's not easy going from a maiden to a Benchmark 72 in town.''
Ninja's reputation preceded him and he was sent out the $2.40 favourite.
He jumped straight to the front, dashed clear in the straight and although tiring late, held off the late surge of promising Without Peer ($9) to win by a short half-head.
Crown The King ($11) chased the leader gamely throughout and was a short-head away third with Fermoy closing off strongly to finish fourth, beaten less than a length, in a race that is likely to be a strong three-year-old form reference during the spring carnival.
Ninja holds on! 🥷
The @MFreedmanRacing trained galloper wins at Rosehill with @AndrewAdkins103 in the saddle! pic.twitter.com/cqYvcOvXWm
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 16, 2025
Form jockey Andrew Adkins said Ninja's slender winning margin should not detract from the lightly-raced sprinter's win.
'Ninja is still a work in progress,'' Adkins said.
'It's not like he is doing things wrong but he is doing things a little upside down in places.
'But from the barriers, he stepped better today so he is slowly picking things up.
'It's hard to come out of that grade (provincial maiden) and come to Saturday against a pretty handy field and still win quite dominantly.''
Adkins said Ninja 'didn't have it easy today but he was quite tough late'.
'I don't think he needs to lead but I rode him like the best horse in the race,'' Adkins said.
'He was there and working through the bridle so I didn't want to break his confidence and rip him back just to sit off the lead.
'The more racing he does we will be able to ride him differently, too. He's exciting and still progressing. He's a horse with a lot of upside.''
Ninja, a $380,000 Magic Millions Yearling Sale purchase, is from the first crop of Golden Slipper winner Farnan and is raced in partnership by the My Racehorse Syndications which specialises in micro-shares, as well as some high profile owners including John Camilleri of Sunshine In Paris fame, Widden Stud, Sledmere Stud and Torryburn Stud.
The gelding was having just his third start in his debut preparation, having finished third at Kensington before his back-to-back wins.
Freedman admitted he has been surprised by Ninja's rapid progression this winter.
'Looking back on it I think he might have found that Kensington track a bit tight and the 1100m a bit sharp first-up,'' the trainer said.
'He has certainly loved getting out over a bit further and just getting into a nice rhythm. He may not look like it today but I do think he will appreciate getting out over a bit further.''
Freedman agreed with Adkins that Ninja is 'still learning his craft' and is not sure he will press on with the emerging young sprinter into the spring.
'Ninja is very raw still,'' Freedman said.
'He gets a big 'jig-joggey' in the parade ring.
'He is still not really jumping away as cleanly as we'd like and he's having to be used a bit just to hold a position. When one kicked up inside him he had to use him a bit more to cross so he's done a really good job to win.
'I will see how he pulls up but I'm always a little hesitant with horses that have raced a bit through the winter how far into the spring you press on with them but he's got a bit of upside for sure.''
â– â– â– â– â–
Denim doubles up in city
Denim Wynen had never trained a city winner until the start of this season.
But Monkhana gave the young trainer her second Saturday winner of the month when she scored a strong win in the Midway Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens.
Monkhana's win came two weeks after mother-of-two Wynen's breakthrough metropolitan success with Sunshine Law at Rosehill on August 2.
'I'm lost for words, I can't believe it, I'm so excited,'' Wynen said.
It's @AnnaRoper_ and Denim Wynen combining to take out the first at Rosehill with Monkhana saluting! ðŸ'� pic.twitter.com/p48XgfPzUU
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 16, 2025
In a blanket finish where less than a length separated the top four finishers, Monkhana ($3.50 favourite), well ridden by apprentice Anna Roper, scored by a half-length from Vetwelve ($10) with Convergent ($5) a closing strongly for third, just in front of Justela.
Monkhana ran second at the Rosehill meeting two weeks ago and Wynen, 29, returned to the track quietly confident about her mare's chances on Saturday.
'I was pretty confident with her today, without saying it,'' she said.
'She trained on well after her last start and has come back a different horse this time in, she is a lot stronger.''
Vetwelve maintained her consistent winter form with another game effort while Convergent showed promising staying potential with his strong finishing effort to claim third placing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Dewald and dew a potential Aussie headache in ODIs
The dew and a bloke dubbed 'Baby AB' loom as Australia's two biggest obstacles when their three-match ODI series against South Africa gets underway in Cairns on Tuesday. Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 62 off 36 balls in the deciding game three of the T20 series helped Australia wrap up a 2-1 victory in that format on Saturday night. Maxwell hit the game-winning four with the penultimate delivery to secure the thrilling two-wicket victory in Cairns. But it wasn't the only talking point to come out of the match, with the dew and the explosive hitting from South African rising star Dewald Brevis also notable. Brevis followed up his unbeaten 125 off 56 balls in game two with a thumping 53 off 26 balls in game three, with the 22-year-old striking Aaron Hardie for four consecutive sixes. The man dubbed 'Baby AB' in reference to South African great AB de Villiers looks set to be handed his ODI debut for Tuesday's series opener to give him a chance to inflict more pain on the Aussies. The dewy outfield in Cairns also wreaked havoc - mostly for the South Africans given they had to bowl second. At the beginning of the crucial 18th over and with Australia still requiring 27 runs for victory, South African paceman Kagiso Rabada unleashed a beamer that flew more than a metre above Maxwell's head and through to the wicketkeeper without bouncing. Rabada looked at his hand in disbelief immediately after the mishap, and his subsequent free hit was struck for six by Maxwell as Australia set sail for victory. Dew was also an issue in Darwin at the start of the T20 series and it could be a factor yet again for the ODI opener at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns on Tuesday. Australia captain Mitch Marsh, who has elected to bowl first in all 20 of his coin toss wins across ODIs and T20 internationals, is aware of the dew factor. "We saw the ball get really soft in Darwin," Marsh said on Monday. "Playing with dew is not something we're used to in Australia, so that's been a challenge for us. "Hopefully there's not too much dew and it's an even ball game." Games two and three of the ODI series will be played at the recently refurbished Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Australia's most recent ODI match was their semi-final loss to India at the Champions Trophy in March. Maxwell and Steve Smith have since retired from the format, Spencer Johnson and Matt Short are currently injured, while Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sean Abbott and Tanveer Sangha haven't been selected for the upcoming ODI series. With the T20s out of the way, South Africa have welcomed in captain Temba Bavuma, veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj and recent Test triple-centurion Wiaan Mulder, as well as top-order batters Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi. Marsh is captaining the Australian side in the ODIs due to the absence of Pat Cummins, who is busy preparing for this summer's Ashes series. Despite the euphoria of the T20 series win, Australia's players have quickly reset their focus for the ODIs. "We start the series fresh, we start the series 0-0," Marsh said. "We know these shorter series it's really important to get off to a (fast) start, so hopefully that's the case tomorrow." The dew and a bloke dubbed 'Baby AB' loom as Australia's two biggest obstacles when their three-match ODI series against South Africa gets underway in Cairns on Tuesday. Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 62 off 36 balls in the deciding game three of the T20 series helped Australia wrap up a 2-1 victory in that format on Saturday night. Maxwell hit the game-winning four with the penultimate delivery to secure the thrilling two-wicket victory in Cairns. But it wasn't the only talking point to come out of the match, with the dew and the explosive hitting from South African rising star Dewald Brevis also notable. Brevis followed up his unbeaten 125 off 56 balls in game two with a thumping 53 off 26 balls in game three, with the 22-year-old striking Aaron Hardie for four consecutive sixes. The man dubbed 'Baby AB' in reference to South African great AB de Villiers looks set to be handed his ODI debut for Tuesday's series opener to give him a chance to inflict more pain on the Aussies. The dewy outfield in Cairns also wreaked havoc - mostly for the South Africans given they had to bowl second. At the beginning of the crucial 18th over and with Australia still requiring 27 runs for victory, South African paceman Kagiso Rabada unleashed a beamer that flew more than a metre above Maxwell's head and through to the wicketkeeper without bouncing. Rabada looked at his hand in disbelief immediately after the mishap, and his subsequent free hit was struck for six by Maxwell as Australia set sail for victory. Dew was also an issue in Darwin at the start of the T20 series and it could be a factor yet again for the ODI opener at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns on Tuesday. Australia captain Mitch Marsh, who has elected to bowl first in all 20 of his coin toss wins across ODIs and T20 internationals, is aware of the dew factor. "We saw the ball get really soft in Darwin," Marsh said on Monday. "Playing with dew is not something we're used to in Australia, so that's been a challenge for us. "Hopefully there's not too much dew and it's an even ball game." Games two and three of the ODI series will be played at the recently refurbished Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Australia's most recent ODI match was their semi-final loss to India at the Champions Trophy in March. Maxwell and Steve Smith have since retired from the format, Spencer Johnson and Matt Short are currently injured, while Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sean Abbott and Tanveer Sangha haven't been selected for the upcoming ODI series. With the T20s out of the way, South Africa have welcomed in captain Temba Bavuma, veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj and recent Test triple-centurion Wiaan Mulder, as well as top-order batters Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi. Marsh is captaining the Australian side in the ODIs due to the absence of Pat Cummins, who is busy preparing for this summer's Ashes series. Despite the euphoria of the T20 series win, Australia's players have quickly reset their focus for the ODIs. "We start the series fresh, we start the series 0-0," Marsh said. "We know these shorter series it's really important to get off to a (fast) start, so hopefully that's the case tomorrow." The dew and a bloke dubbed 'Baby AB' loom as Australia's two biggest obstacles when their three-match ODI series against South Africa gets underway in Cairns on Tuesday. Glenn Maxwell's unbeaten 62 off 36 balls in the deciding game three of the T20 series helped Australia wrap up a 2-1 victory in that format on Saturday night. Maxwell hit the game-winning four with the penultimate delivery to secure the thrilling two-wicket victory in Cairns. But it wasn't the only talking point to come out of the match, with the dew and the explosive hitting from South African rising star Dewald Brevis also notable. Brevis followed up his unbeaten 125 off 56 balls in game two with a thumping 53 off 26 balls in game three, with the 22-year-old striking Aaron Hardie for four consecutive sixes. The man dubbed 'Baby AB' in reference to South African great AB de Villiers looks set to be handed his ODI debut for Tuesday's series opener to give him a chance to inflict more pain on the Aussies. The dewy outfield in Cairns also wreaked havoc - mostly for the South Africans given they had to bowl second. At the beginning of the crucial 18th over and with Australia still requiring 27 runs for victory, South African paceman Kagiso Rabada unleashed a beamer that flew more than a metre above Maxwell's head and through to the wicketkeeper without bouncing. Rabada looked at his hand in disbelief immediately after the mishap, and his subsequent free hit was struck for six by Maxwell as Australia set sail for victory. Dew was also an issue in Darwin at the start of the T20 series and it could be a factor yet again for the ODI opener at Cazalys Stadium in Cairns on Tuesday. Australia captain Mitch Marsh, who has elected to bowl first in all 20 of his coin toss wins across ODIs and T20 internationals, is aware of the dew factor. "We saw the ball get really soft in Darwin," Marsh said on Monday. "Playing with dew is not something we're used to in Australia, so that's been a challenge for us. "Hopefully there's not too much dew and it's an even ball game." Games two and three of the ODI series will be played at the recently refurbished Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Australia's most recent ODI match was their semi-final loss to India at the Champions Trophy in March. Maxwell and Steve Smith have since retired from the format, Spencer Johnson and Matt Short are currently injured, while Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sean Abbott and Tanveer Sangha haven't been selected for the upcoming ODI series. With the T20s out of the way, South Africa have welcomed in captain Temba Bavuma, veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj and recent Test triple-centurion Wiaan Mulder, as well as top-order batters Matthew Breetzke and Tony de Zorzi. Marsh is captaining the Australian side in the ODIs due to the absence of Pat Cummins, who is busy preparing for this summer's Ashes series. Despite the euphoria of the T20 series win, Australia's players have quickly reset their focus for the ODIs. "We start the series fresh, we start the series 0-0," Marsh said. "We know these shorter series it's really important to get off to a (fast) start, so hopefully that's the case tomorrow."
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Boks hit by injury blows for second test with Australia
As if the pain of a first defeat to Australia at Ellis Park in 62 years was not enough, South Africa face a heavy injury toll from the 38-22 defeat in Saturday's Rugby Championship opener, with captain Siya Kolisi sidelined for an extended period. Kolisi suffered a knee injury as Australia rallied from 22 points down in a stunning second-half display and is out of the second test in Cape Town on Saturday and likely the two-match tour to New Zealand that follows. Loose-forward Pieter-Steph du Toit suffered a concussion in the weekend loss and will also miss the second game as he goes through return-to-play protocols. Both wings from the loss, Kurt-Lee Arendse (knee) and Edwill van der Merwe (ankle), are also out of this coming weekend. That should be tempered by the return from injury of experienced wing Cheslin Kolbe. Inside centre Damian de Allende, an important cog in the backline, is also set to be fit after missing Saturday's loss. Coach Rassie Erasmus said the team are aware of their shortcomings at Ellis Park as they tried to move the ball too expansively and were picked off by a clinical Australia. "We had a proper meeting and the feeling is frustration," he said on Monday. "But at least we know what we did wrong. That's the most important thing. They totally outplayed us. "If you play beautiful rugby and you lose, you lose. If you play boring rugby and you win, then people are happy. We were totally on the wrong side of that balance on Saturday, and that is not because (attack coach) Tony (Brown) coaches that way. "You tend to think things are easy and there is so much space. Then a proud country like Australia take their opportunities." South Africa will name their second test side on Tuesday.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Embarrassing' act behind viral AFL photo of Harry Sheezel
North Melbourne star Harry Sheezel brought his own footy to Ninja Stadium in Hobart on Sunday. The 20-year-old ran riot as he equalled the VFL/AFL record by racking up an extraordinary 54 disposals against Richmond. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Sheezel blew away North's previous all-time record of 44 as he etched his name into the record books alongside Tom Mitchell. His final touch came with less than a minute remaining in the contest as North recorded the 20.15 (135) to 13.9 (87) victory. Sheezel's day ultimately ended with 54 disposals, two goals, seven marks, six clearances and 688m gained. After the game the North star sat in the changerooms holding up a piece of paper with 54 written on it, emulating the viral image of Wilt Chamberlain from his 100 point NBA game. Richmond coach Adem Yze was asked about the club's decision not to impose a hard tag on Sheezel as he continued to rack up possessions. 'At halftime I think he had 20 odd and the game was in the balance,' Yze said. 'The third quarter I didn't see that as being a big issue, especially early. He did go forward and kick a couple of goals. 'Jack Ross went to him for a little bit and obviously he's just good enough to go and change position. 'I think he ended up with 12 or 13 in the last quarter and we kicked six goals so you're always looking at those numbers. He obviously had a great game and he's a terrific kid.' Essendon legend James Hird took aim at the club for allowing Sheezel to run free, labelling it an 'embarrassing' decision. 'I think after getting 28 exactly in the first and 26 and 2 (goals) in the second half for a total of 54, I think someone needs to go near him more,' Hird said on Nine's Footy Furnace. 'They didn't even tag just at stoppages. Start on him around a stoppage or start on him around the ball. 'For me I think that becomes a bit embarrassing for the Richmond football club that somebody is able to get that many possessions. 'Good on him, it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of effort to get there. 54 shows that the Richmond team were going that way and North Melbourne were going the other way.' Geelong great Jimmy Bartel says the club could have used it as a teaching method for one of their own young players. 'You could have used that as a teaching moment by sending someone to him,' Bartel said. 'I know he's going to be too good and I think that's the point Yze was trying to make. 'But it didn't really matter in the end because Richmond own North's pick.' The win sees North Melbourne pick up a fifth win of the season and jump Richmond in 16th place on the ladder with one game left in the home and away season.
