Add star local filly Spright to the list of contenders for the $200,000 Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas at the April 29 Hawkesbury stand-alone Saturday meeting.
Trainer Garry Frazer has announced the 1400m feature for three-year-olds as Spright’s next target. And the Hawkesbury filly will pursue a further path to the $400,000 Inglis Guineas over the same distance at Scone’s Saturday stand-alone a fortnight later.
Left: Spright (Jason Collett) scores at Royal Randwick. The filly will figure prominently in the Blacktown Workers Hawkesbury Guineas at Hawkesbury's stand-alone Saturday meeting. Image by Steve Hart Photographics
Frazer, though naturally disappointed Spright didn’t win, was nonetheless very pleased with her fourth to Derryn in last Saturday’s Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Day 2 of The Championships.
She gave away a big start but kept making ground right to the post and nearly snatched third placing. Frazer is hoping for drier conditions in the coming weeks so that his filly can get back on to firmer ground.
The Hawkesbury Guineas carries Group 3 status and is open to all 3yos whilst the Scone race is restricted to horses of that age nominated for the Inglis race series.
Another talented Hawkesbury three-year-old Generalissimo, who won last Saturday’s Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick, is also contesting his home track feature.
It wasn’t the Provincial Championships Final, but at least it was a win for fellow Hawkesbury trainer Nick Mitchell at Goulburn on Monday. He scored with Belridge (Chad Lever) in the Class 2 Handicap (1400m).
Starting at $11, the four-year-old notched his second win at his 20th start in defeating Stroke Of Light ($10) and $1.60 favorite Vinnie Power.
Mitchell had hoped to qualify the gelding for the $400,000 Provincial Championships Final at Randwick last Saturday – along with stablemate Dream Lane – but he finished only 11th to Shazee Lee in the $150,000 Hawkesbury qualifier on March 2. Belridge subsequently won a 1030m Rosehill Gardens barrier trial 11 days later.
Mitchell understandably was terribly disappointed with Dream Lane’s out of character 11th to Canberra mare Maryore in last Saturday’s Provincial Final, and this evening said she pulled up distressed.
“But she was as bright as a button on Sunday morning,” he said. “That certainly wasn’t her true form. I am getting her blood checked before we make a call on her immediate future. No question she ran a good 10 lengths below par, but I’m sure she will bounce back.”
View the results & race replays for Royal Randwick here
View the race program for Hawkesbury's stand-alone Saturday here