Clearing Maidens – A maiden wins by 35 lengths and Chase Me powers to victory

In our weekly Clearing Maidens article we look through those breaking through for their first victories.

It could be a long-time maiden who has finally mastered race rivals or a progressive star of the track in the future – they’ve all got one thing in common now – they’re race winners!

Cambridge 1st October

Sunset Hill (What The Hill – Our Sunny Whiz) A royally bred son of What The Hill scores at start #2 for the McGowan stable. Impressing in the 3rd on the card at Cambridge, Sunset Hill mounted a strong outer bid after sitting on the pegs through most of the race, finding too much for race rivals to score by over 2 lengths in a time of 2.55.3. This is a great trotting family with dam Our Sunny Whiz winning 19 times in a career spanning some 45 race starts – her best victory arguably being the Rowe Cup triumph of 2008 when beating Lotsa Speed and Braig. As a mother Our Sunny Whiz has now left 5 individual winners.

Sunset Hill looks destined for bigger things after a confident Cambridge win.

Jahi (Art Major –  Janaka) After showing enough promise to snare a maiden victory Jahi finally got over the line before anyone else in the 4th on the card out of Cambridge. The Doody trained runner passing race leader Tuareg over the concluding stages to score the win at start #16. Jahi had previously placed on 5 other occasions.

Sheza Mermaid (Sunshine Beach – Lyn’s Delight) A home track victory came up in the 5th of the night when this Chilcott trained runner scored as favourite. Sheza Mermaid put up a strong showing managing to sit parked for much of the race and still having enough to score going away from Mary Magdelene late. Sheza Mermaid is out of the 2-time winner Lyn’s Delight, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight.

Sheza Mermaid shows a willing nature to sit parked and win at Cambridge.

Addington 3rd October

The Lazarus Effect (Lazarus – Brooke Street) The winning effect was out in force on debut for this Bob Butt trained runner. The juvenile impressing after making the most of a trailing trip throughout the running in the first of the night out of Addington. The Lazarus Effect had some impressive trial form coming into his debut, thus he was favoured to take the event.

The breeding behind The Lazarus Effect has shown plenty in the past, the damline tracing through the 5-time winner Meet Me In Mayfair (Falcon Seelster) to English Elegance, the mother of some 10 individual winners including the Gr2 winner Elegant Christian (Christian Cullen)

The Lazarus Effect makes it a winning debut at Addington.

Stella Rouge (Bettor’s Delight – Lady Gilpin) A filly with a major motor. Punters may have thought that their money was down the drain 600m out from home in the 3rd of the night at Addington but Tim Williams and Stella Rouge had other ideas, having been shuffled back badly on the markers, the daughter of Bettor’s Delight found wings over the final 400m to reel in the leaders and score at decent each-way odds.

The win carried on from an impressive debut behind Captains Mistress.

Wyndham 4th October

Styrax (Creatine – Larix) A consistent family gets another winner with Styrax. Always looking likely to win a race at some stage Styrax finally got that winning feeling at Wyndham on Friday, and what a win it was! Bringing the manners proved the wining of the race with Tony Stratford a mere passenger as Styrax simply pulled away to win by some 35 lengths at the line.

The memorable victory coming up at race start #14. Dam Larix won 10 races, notching up no less than 5 victories when racing as a 5yr-old.

Styrax is the only horse in the photo at Wyndham!

Flashpoint (Captain Crunch – Joanne’s A Delight) Captain Crunch is starting to accumulate some nice winners and this one was no exception. The juvenile showed his potential in winning the second on the card, sitting parked and pulling away from race favourite and leader Saucy Delight early in the run home to score in 1.59.2 over the mile journey. Flashpoint has previously been placed 3rd on debut in behind Glenkenick.

This is another family of quality with dam Joanne’s A Delight winning 5 and leaving the now 12-time winner Hoppys Way (Art Major) as her second foal.

Justanothersip (Franco Ledger – Justasip) Another winner for Franco Ledger. Having raced in Group features in April of this year Justanothersip was always going to be competitive when returning for another campaign, and so it proved, the 2yr-old looking impressive when catching Ada R J from a trailing position over the mile event. This is the same family as the current grass track toff Buckskin (10 wins)

Justanothersip becomes justanotherjuvenilewinner

Alexandra Park 4th October

Chase Me (Downbytheseaside – Delicata) They got the name right here because that’s what they were all doing at Alexandra Park on Friday. Racing in the 2nd on the card, Chase Me proved just a little too slick for rivals when driven by David Butcher, putting in a tough turn from parked to wear down I Got Chills over the last 100m to score impressively. The win followed up a debut 3rd behind Scooter B last week. This is a breed that’s known to produce the stars of the track with dam Delicata having already left the superb Chase Auckland, winner of some $800’000, as her first foal.

With that sort of winning habit there looks to be a future full of feature racing for Chase Me.

Chase Me shows the family power at Alexandra Park

Ocean Eyes (Father Patrick – Eilish Aimee) Another winner from a family that’s been doing a lot of winning recently. Ocean Eyes impressed in the 4th of the night on Friday, beating out those off 30m handicaps to bring about a maiden win at start #2. The exploits of this family are well known with Ocean Eyes beating out a sibling who lined up in the same race in Lil Whip. Grandam Eilish Mac was the dam of 8 individual winners including the class acts Earl Of Mot (33 wins) Ella Powell (11wins) and Harriet Hughes (5 wins)

Methven 6th October

Knowing Me (Majestic Son – With Intent) The manners haven’t always been there but in the first of the day out of Methven Knowing Me behaved nicely, seeing off challenges from Valyrian and Massive Merc to score a deserved victory at start #10. The win coming after 9 unsuccessful attempts, most of those efforts marred by mid-race gallops.

Dam With Intent was a fine mare, winning 13 races from her 97 starts. Knowing Me is a full sister to the 7-time winner in It’s So Easy.

Oneroa (Bettor’s Delight – Beach Parade) Another maiden winner who has been knocking on the door for some time. Oneroa and Blair Orange dictated for much of the race in the 2nd on the card, outlasting those that tried to rally over the final furlong to catch the daughter of Bettor’s Delight. Oneroa has previously put in sound performances against the likes of Spicey Crunch and Without You.

Dam Beach Parade is best known by the elite efforts of daughter Partyon, a 17-time winner whose career included taking out a number of Gr1 feature titles, notably the NSW Oaks and Breeders Crown.

Oneroa leads and wins at Methven

Always Bee Gee (Always B Miki – Tory Franco) After placing at Banks Peninsula behind Sideshow Bruce when last appearing Always Bee Gee improved that little bit more at Methven, enjoying a trail throughout the running and finding enough in the run home to score by over a length from In The Summertime and Jay R Tolkien.

The win shouldn’t be a surprise to any who follow the grass track form with Always Bee Gee being a close relation to the grass track type in Little Gee.

Dam Tory Franco has been a great producer as a mother, her progeny also includes the impressive Sir Artsplace (21 wins) Luksam (13 wins) and Kashana (3 wins)

Always Bee Gee improves off a sound Banks Peninsula run to win at Methven

By Harnesslink Media