Trainer Denim Wynen celebrates first city success with ex-Yulong mare at Rosehill

The Australian

3 days ago

Yulong's loss was Denim Wynen's gain as Sunshine Law delivered the young trainer her maiden city winner at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Wynen, 29, enjoyed the biggest moment of her career to date when her new edition handled the heavy conditions to prevail in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m).
Sunshine Law had previously been trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald and raced in the silks of breeding powerhouse Yulong before being sold online to Wynen's connections for $85,000.
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'I am so stoked,' Wynen said.
'Coming into today, I hate being too confident with people but in myself I knew I had quite a good horse coming here.
'The trackwork rider, after the first gallop she had on her, said she thinks she is quite a serious horse so for her to say that, I thought I have a nice horse.'
Sunshine Law had won her last two starts for the Archibalds at Canberra and Hawkesbury but her latest success ensured her new owners for an immediate return on their investment.
The daughter of Alabama Express banked just shy of her purchase price with an $82,500 winner's cheque.
'Credit to them, they picked it,' Wynen said.
'They rang me the day before and said they were looking at some tried horses online.
'They have been a big support to my stable in the last six months and bought some weanlings and wanted to get to the races sooner.
'They decided to go to the tried sales and picked up two nice horses from Yulong so I think we are going to have some fun with them.'
Apprentice Anna Roper brought up a quick-fire early double with a confident steer aboard Sunshine Law.
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Roper, who had just booted home Kosciuszko hopeful Without Parallel, found herself in the box seat and had no trouble getting a run off the leaders back.
Sunshine Law ($4.80) keep finding to the line to hold off the Matthew Dale-trained Super Norwest ($7) by a half-length while Chris Waller's Pippie Beach ($4) was third.
'It was a really good win,' Roper said.
'I thought she was feeling the pinch a bit the last 100m and I think she started to have a little think about it but the horse to her inside kept her going.
'It was a really good tough effort first-up today.'
Wynen dipped her two in the water as a hobby trainer but has taken over the past two years and is building a small stable on the Central Coast.
'I had a hobby, just a couple of my own, but just two years for owners and I am loving it,' she said.
'I only have six in work, I do all the work myself, literally seven days morning and afternoon so it's a good number.'
Meanwhile, the Joseph Pride-trained Headley Grange bounced back to his best as the rain poured down in Sydney.
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Headley Grange was a winner of the Listed Civic Stakes earlier this preparation before attempting to qualify for the Big Dance via the South Grafton Cup but failed to fire on the firm track.
He faced vastly different conditions in his return to town on a heavy 10 surface for the National Jockeys Trust Handicap (1500m).
Headley Grange ($3.70) thrived in the tough going under the urging of Adam Hyeronimus as he surged away to score by two lengths from Adam Duggan's Diamond Diesel ($20) while Pride's Estadio Mestalla ($5) was third.
'He is honest and genuine,' Pride said.
'I think people who like backing him, keep backing him because he turns up and wins when he gets the opportunity.
'I would be forgiving of him for his last start at Grafton when I really thought that track was too hard for him.
'I wouldn't run him on a surface that firm again, he enjoys tracks with the string out of them.'