Latest news with #Benchmark 72 Handicap
The Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Back-up plan with Stardeel pays off for Bjorn Baker at Rosehill
Bjorn Baker's decision to back-up the 'strong-willed' Stardeel delivered the desired outcome at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Last week the Dundeel gelding was his own worst enemy at Randwick, never relaxing and failing to run on when unplaced for the first time of the campaign. Seven days later and it was a different version of Stardeel, sent straight to the front, and never giving his rivals a look in when leading throughout in the 3&4YO Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m). • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'He was a real handful last week, he pulled my shoulders out from the moment I got on him but today he was a different horse,' jockey Josh Parr said. 'Genius decision by Bjorn to back him up, bring him back slightly in distance and it has paid dividends. 'We allowed him to do his thing today, he did it at both ends and that won't be his last win.' Stardeel ($3.40 eq fav) defeated Grand Prairie ($3.40 eq fav) by three lengths with a half-length back to Totoka ($9.50) in third. The win was Stardeel's second in five starts this preparation and Baker said the four-year-old is now off to the paddock with the hope the time off can fast track his mental development. 'He's still a bit of a galah but in time, he's going to develop into a pretty handy horse I think,' Baker said. • Sunshine Law delivers maiden city win for Denim Wynen 'He's still not doing everything correctly in his races but it's a good sign with a young horse when they don't execute as well as you'd like but they win and, in his case, today, he's won very well. 'As much as back-up Baker would like to take advantage of another wet track next week, he's done his job this prep. 'He's a big lean horse that will love getting into some spring grass. It will do his really well physically and hopefully mentally.' Baker is coming off his best ever training season, finishing second in the Sydney trainers' premiership with 90 city winners. 'It's always important to kick off the season with a winner and while it's not all about strike rate, we are currently at 100 per cent,' he said. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 'Wetter the better' for tough Dubbo galloper Dubbo trainer Dar Lunn and his stable star Elson Boy were two that relished the terrible winter conditions at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. A heavy (10) rated track combined with torrential rain provided the ideal backdrop as Elson Boy fought off all challengers to record his 10th win from 31 starts in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m). Elson Boy had only beaten home five of his 33 rivals in the first three runs of his preparation, but a week of Sydney rain proved pivotal to the six-year-old gelding's form turnaround. 'He loves those conditions,' Lunn said. 'He's had five starts now on heavy tracks and won three times. 'The wetter the better for him.' • Unbeaten mare Without Parallel emerges as Kosciuszko contender Elson Boy ($12) was headed in the early part of the straight before digging in for the fight and fending off Captain Furai ($3.80 fav) to win by 1¾ lengths with 2¼ lengths back to Rolling Magic ($8) in third. 'He's a tough old bugger,' winning apprentice rider William Stanley said. 'He jumped well and had to do a bit of work to get across but when we got there he travelled nice. 'I thought he was the first horse beat but he found another gear, picked himself up and was good to the line. 'It was a good win because he didn't get everything go his way. Last year Elson Boy finished ninth in The Kosciuszko and Lunn would be keen to gain another shot, especially if the heavens opened in the lead-up to The Everest Day at Royal Randwick in October. 'I wouldn't say no if we get another chance,' Lunn said. 'If we did get in and it was wet, you never know. 'He gets better the deeper he goes into a preparation so he should hold his form now. 'Hopefully this weather can hang around now for a while too.' Elson Boy is a $51 chance with for The Kosciuszko.
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Trainer Chris Waller praises Tommy Berry's tactical mastery on Cigar Flick at Randwick
Trainer Chris Waller had jockey Tommy Berry to thank after his well-bred mare Cigar Flick scored her first victory in more than a year at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Waller had a different plan in mind for his daughter of Churchill before Berry went off script to produce her with a barnstorming run down the outside to win the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m). 'I was actually watching the race with Charlie (Duckworth) and said 'I don't know what this Tommy is doing, we said we were going to come through them and have the last crack at them',' Waller said. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Then I said after the race 'that's why Tommy is a jockey and I am a trainer'. He knew what he was doing.' Berry settled Cigar Flick in her customary position towards the rear of the field and ensured the daughter of Churchill kept momentum as they rounded the turn in a four-wide line. Cigar Flick ($13) unleashed a powerful burst down the outside to run over the top of the Matthew Smith-trained World Alliance ($11) to prevail by one-and-a-quarter lengths. John Thompson's Bundeena ($8) gave them something to catch inside the final furlong before finishing third. 'She is one that you have to ride for bad luck and hope for a bit of good luck,' Berry said. 'Today the opportunity presented to get her to the outside. 'I still had a bum to follow and be patient on her and she reaped the rewards of what's been a consistent preparation without any luck. 'She is in at the right time of year.' • Nashville Jack in fine tune with slashing win Cigar Flick hadn't won for more than a year heading into Saturday but Waller is hoping to win another race with the mare before she is retired to stud later this year. 'She is a lovely horse, beautiful,' Waller said. 'She won't have too much more racing. Her mum is a sister to Fangirl so she is well bred and she will go to stud this year. She has done a great job. 'We will see what else we can find. 'This type of distance and these type of conditions and she can win another one of them.' The win came less than an hour after Berry produced a vastly different ride to score on the Ciaron Maher-trained Lugh. His decision to push forward early on the son of Snitzel in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m) proved decisive. Lugh ($9) travelled well outside the lead and kept finding over in the straight to hold off Chris Waller's Starman ($16) by three-quarters of a length with the Bjorn Baker-trained Slinky ($21) working home strongly for third. • 'Sneaky chance': Pride mare shocks rivals at $51 Lugh is still only lightly-raced and has highlighted his considerable talent in just a handful of starts, winning four of six. 'He doesn't have much of a turn of foot but has a big action,' Maher's assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said. 'On a bigger track here at Randwick was going to suit him better. 'He enjoyed the conditions and I thought Tommy (Berry) rode him really well. 'He is a horse that needs a bit of encouragement, he is very casual and has the best attitude. 'The way Tommy rode him, he kept him on his job.' Stablemate Sacred Rocks was expected to be the horse to beat but was a drifter in betting out to $3.50 and never looked likely. Apprentice Anna Roper made a mid-race move to settle closer on the daughter of Sacred Falls, which ran out of gas over the concluding stages to miss the placings. 'I don't it really work out for Sacred Rocks,' Gerard-Dubord said. 'She was slow away and just had to make that move mid-race. 'She got going early so was always going to be soft late.'
