Latest news with #Benchmark 78 Handicap
The Australian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Trainer Denim Wynen celebrates first city success with ex-Yulong mare at Rosehill
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. • 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! '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. • Unbeaten mare Without Parallel emerges as Kosciuszko contender 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. • Waller and J-Mac ignite Godolphin's new era 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.'
News.com.au
19-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Yoshinobu justifies Annabel Archibald investment with impressive first-up victory at Rosehill
Trainer Annabel Archibald was a happy person after Yoshinobu delivered a first-up win in the Benchmark 78 Handicap at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Yoshinobu, a stakes-placed three-year-old, was sold on the Inglis Digital online platform in April for $180,000 and Archibald convinced existing stable clients to purchase the son of Written Tycoon. 'I slightly put my neck on the line because he went online and I persuaded OTI (Racing) to try and buy him and quite a few of the owners retained ownership in him as well,' Archibald, who trains in partnership with her husband Rob, said. 'He was always a bit of a quirky colt, but we knew he had good ability.' Yoshinobu quickly wiped $102,500 off his purchase price for the new and existing owners when coming from back in the field to burst thought the ruck and claim the 1200m contest, his third win from nine starts. 'I think he's a quality horse,' winning rider Tom Sherry said. 'Began nicely and there was a good bit of speed early so we got him into a rhythm, travelled beautifully throughout. 'He picked up quite sharply, the runs opened up and he was tough late.' Yoshinobu ($6) defeated the fast-finishing Iron Man ($10) by a neck with 1¾ lengths back to Spywire ($2.80 fav) in third after being forced to cover plenty of ground, three wide throughout. 'I actually thought we'd be closer in the run today because he's such a big striding horse, but it was a good ride from Tom,' Archibald said. 'It was good to see him show a turn of foot. 'He was a bit green late and for a stride I thought he might throw it away, but I think he was surging again at the line if anything.' Yoshinobu strikes first up at Rosehill with a strong performance! ðŸ'° @tomo_sherry @ANeashamRacing @OTIRacing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 • Without Peer defies odds with stunning debut win There are no ambitious plans in the short term for Yoshinobu, which placed behind Group 1 winner Switzerland in the Roman Consul Stakes earlier in the season, with Archibald content to allow the gelding to chase more benchmark race wins. 'He's a talented horse I think it he will continue to progress as he continues to learn his craft,' she said. 'I'm not going to throw him into the deep end yet, he's still only lightly raced so we'll just let him go through his grades and see where it takes us.' Meanwhile, 40 minutes later punters were dealt a savage blow when $1.80 favourite Tuileries never looked the winner in the F&M Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m). The Peter Snowden -trained filly was back last and wide in the early stages where the leaders ran a pedestrian 38.03sec for the first 600m and despite running her last 600m in 32.99sec, Tuileries wasn't able to get any closer than fourth at the line. Useapin digs deep to take the win at Rosehill for @cwallerracing and @ZacLloydx! ðŸ'¥ @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 • Her impossible task left the door open for the Chris Waller -trained Useapin to capitalise on a positive ride by Zac Lloyd, the three-year-old daughter of Waller's first Everest winner Yes Yes Yes recorded her fourth win from 11 starts. 'She showed nice gate speed which gives options going forward,' Lloyd said. 'She travelled so kindly, and I think once she learns how to put a field away, she's got many more lengths up her sleeve. 'At the bend I thought she might win by three but she just got a bit lost up the straight, but she always had her head in front and toughed it out nicely.' Useapin is close to 17 hands in size and due to that, Waller's is in no rush to raise the bar for the sizeable chestnut filly. 'She's a big girl,' he said. 'She's always shown us something but because of her big size I've taken her along slowly. 'She was brave and she's on her way.' Useapin ($6.50) defeated the 14-time runner-up Dollar Magic ($6.50) by a head with a long head back to Art's Alive ($11) in third.
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jason Coyle eyeing stakes races for flying mare Lulumon
Trainer Jason Coyle is confident Lulumon is primed and ready to be a leading contender again as she looks to take another step towards stakes company at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Lulumon has returned in sensational order and will go in search of her third win in her past four starts in the The Agency Real Estate Benchmark 78 Handicap (1000m). The daughter of Vancouver has excelled over the Randwick 1000m at her last visit to the venue on June 21 and is a $3.70 favourite to repeat the performance this weekend. 'She's going really good,' Coyle said. 'With the scratchings now, it looks a nice race. The barrier is a bit sticky but we retain the same rider (Jason Collett) so it's a pretty open book for him. 'If she can get a similar run in transit to what we saw last start she looks a likely contender.' Lulumon is building an excellent resume for a future career post-race in the breeding barn with five wins and eight placings from 18 starts. • A crack at black type is the ultimate goal for the rising five-year-old with Coyle to make up his mind when he dips his toe in the deep end after Lulumon's next few starts. 'We have cracked the 80 with the benchmark now and in her next couple of starts if we can get another metropolitan win on the board then whether it's this preparation or targeting a Summer stakes race or even higher range into the autumn,' Coyle said. 'She will be a five-year-old mare and that's the time the breeders get interested in them. 'We will get through Saturday and then look at another start possible then have a look at her next six to nine months and figure out where we want her in.' Coyle is hopeful Bluff 'N' Bluster ($51) can get a start in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) with the gelding needing one more scratching. Bluff 'N' Bluster, now a rising nine-year-old, finished off with plenty of merit first-up in Midway grad. 'He is at the tail end of his career but his first-up run was outstanding,' Coyle said. 'He has done that in the past and with an older horse, things really do have to fall into place for them but I thought he was very good and dare I say a little unlucky not finish a length and a half or two lengths closer.' BREEDING BEAUTIES Breeding buffs would have been salivating when they saw the entries to Saturday's Toronto Workers Club Maiden Handicap (1200m) at Newcastle. Close relations to an The Everest winner, a Golden Slipper runner-up and one of Australia's best mares were just a few of the acceptors in the two-year-old field. Among them is the unraced half-sister to superstar mare Fangirl, a filly by Wootton Bassett out of Little Surfer Girl named Bella Wahine, trained by Chris Waller. Waller also scratched Royal Air Force, the half-brother to The Everest winner Think About It, after he drew wide, Group 1 winner Dear Demi's latest foal, Precise Air, suffered a similar fate. as did Artorius' brother Sixties. Snitzel colt Front Rank is set to make his debut for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. He's the brother of Kiwi Group 1 winner turned Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State. His stablemate Watson is a blue blood too, by Capitalist out of Group 1 winner Speak Fondly. Annabel and Rob Archibald's promising colt Duke Atreides is in line for his first start and there's no doubt he will attract interest as the half-brother of 2022 Golden Slipper runner-up Best Of Bordeaux. Sydney's two-year-old event jumps at 11.10am at Royal Randwick but it will be wise to turn the focus to Newcastle come 2.25pm on Saturday.
