Clearing Maidens – Star mare Willow leaves a flying maiden winner

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 24th September

Wind Of Change (Southwind Frank – Things Have Changed) Southwind Frank has another winner – taking his tally to 3 in total! Racing in the 1st out of Cambridge, Wind Of Change simply ran race rivals from the front of the race for Emily Johnson, finding plenty in the run home to beat out race favourite Henrik Lundqvist by over 3 lengths. The win coming up at start #7. Wind Of Change is the 1st winner out of Things Have Changed (Quaker Jet)

Wind Of Change is untroubled in winning at Cambridge.

It’s Electrifying (Captaintreacherous – Hot off The Press) Another winner by the super sire in Captaintreacherous. Racing out of the Purdon and Phelan stables, It’s Electrifying impressed against the older horses in the 3rd of the night, pressing forward to lead the field up and never really looking like being run down late, scoring by over a length in a time of 2.44.8 over the 2200m mobile trip.

There’s plenty to like about the 2yr-old going forward too with dam Hot off The Press having already left two additional individual winners including the progressive Madam Publisher (Rock N Roll Heaven) a winner of 6 from just 10 race day starts.

Inlouof (Sweet Lou – Kamwood Elsie) Another Hughes trained runner to score, Inlouof didn’t mind sitting parked for the duration of the 5th on Tuesday out of Cambridge, proving too tough for race rivals from that position hen putting the heat into the event some 300m from home, the strong win coming up in 2.45.2 over the 2200m mobile trip.

Inlouof had previously placed on 3 occasions from 8 prior starts. Kamwood Elsie has produced some great performers as a mother, notably the 13-time winner in Lancewood Lizzie (Bettor’s Delight) and her brother and 15-time victor Brian Christopher.

Inlouof impresses after a tough trip at Cambridge.

Gore 26th September

Foxing Easton (Washington VC – Easton Foxy Lady) Brett Gray has another winner. Foxing Easton must have really liked the slushy track conditions at Gore, proving far too good for rivals after working around to lead with a little more than a lap to go, from there Nathan Williamson simply put the pressure on from the 250m mark with Foxing Easton responding strongly to power away to a 6-length win. This breed has benefited from the siring power of Washington VC with all 4 winners from dam Easton Foxy Lady being by the sire.

Foxing Easton leaves them chasing in the slush.

Gems Delight (Bettor’s Delight – Pocket The Gem) Brian Norman enjoyed his second winner on the card at Gore when this daughter of Bettor’s Delight scored in the 4th of the day. The 8yr-old mare finally getting the job down after producing some consistent form earlier this calendar year. Gems Delight is a mother herself having already given birth to two foals in 2020 and 2021. A winning mother!

Alexandra Park 27th September

Scooter B (Bettor’s Delight – Motu Fantasy) Going around in the second of the night against in a field of both 2 and 3yr-olds, Scooter B found wings late to score a most impressive win after finding the clear space late in the dying stages of the mile event. A photo finish was needed to separate the first three animals home at the line. This breed has met with some nice form in the past with the unraced dam Motu Fantasy producing a real speedster in the form of Motu Gatecrasher (Changeover) a winner of 21 races in Australia alongside the 10-time winner in Our Ideal Dream (American ideal)

Scooter B scores well at Alexandra Park

Timaru 29th September

Shoemaker (Father Patrick – Accumulate) A deserved win and he did things tough too. Shoemaker, fresh off some consistent results in recent outings, outlasted race rivals in the 1st out of Timaru on Sunday, managing to see off the late challenge of Diamond Harbour over the final furlong to notch the maiden win at start #14. The win sees mare Accumulate accumulate a first winner to her name as a broodmare. The family is well known to the NZ trotting ranks with grandam Speculate winning some 9 from 26 starts.

Shoemaker revs up late to score at Timaru

Sweet Willow (Sweet Lou – Willow) Another well bred maiden winner. This House-trained runner had always shown ability and, with the aid of some gate-speed, was able to cash in on a soft run at Timaru, a late bid from the trail behind The Mantis was enough to see the son of Sweet Lou home buy some 1 1/2 lengths. Sweet Willow had previously run finished 3rd behind Louretta at Addington in late August.

Dam Willow was a fine mare, winning over $300’00 in a career that wasn’t short on feature victories, her win in the G1 Sires Stakes Fillies Championship Final of 2013 a highlight of her successful racing career.

Sweet Willow takes the passing lane to victory at Phar Lap.

Fun To Come (Always B Miki – Fun It Is) A tough win from the big son of Always B Miki. Fun To Come had to do things the not so fun way in the 3rd at Timaru, sitting parked for much of the race and finding plenty over the concluding stages to see off race rivals. The win coming up after some promising runs in the weeks past including a notable late move behind Bromac Times at Methven. Mare Fun It is now a winning broodmare with Fun To Come being her first foal to score at the races.

Baileys Bay (Vincent – Baileys Pearl) A winner at big odds. Baileys Bay enjoyed a nice mid-race sit in the 1/1 throughout the running of the 2050m mobile event – a late burst of speed down the middle of the proving enough to take the race by a short margin over the O’Reilly trained Sweet Raine.

Baileys Bay is from a family known for its ability to salute the judge with the three-time winners Baileys Diamond (Bettor’s Delight) and Baileys Pitch (Bettor’s Delight) also being out of the dam Baileys Pearl alongside the most impressive Baileys Gold, a winner of 12.

By Harnesslink Media