Lynward Park homebred Cher was far from overawed when she charged home to overhaul Riseanfall in the Bisley Workwear Hcp (1200m) at Ascot on Tuesday.
Cher started a $3.80 favourite in front of a boisterous Melbourne Cup Day crowd and she didn’t let them down despite a slow getaway. Trainer Trevor Andrews had expected the filly to lob one-out and one-back and he admitted to uttering some choice words when she was last out of the gates.
“She had showed speed at her first start in Bunbury so settling out the back wasn’t part of the plan,” he said. “I would have been happy with a second or third but she finished very strongly after Holly (Taylor) angled into clear air down the straight.”
Cher (Photo / Western Racepix) is a 3yo daughter of Vinery sire Star Turn and she led home a quinella for her Lynward Park part-owner and breeder Ted van Heemst. Runner-up Riseanfall is from the first-crop of the Bullsbrook stud’s Snitzel sire Bondi.
“She bombed the start and I didn’t want to be that far back,” Taylor said. “But there was a backmarker bias and I was still confident off the corner when she let down.”
The winner’s dam Suzebabe (Testa Rossa) is a half-sister to Spring Warrior (Royal Academy) who won a Debutant Stakes (LR, 1000m) at Caulfield. She had been trained to a Sandown victory by Peter Moody and started her stud career with winners by Bel Esprit and Reward For Effort.
Offered by Victorian owner-breeder Frank Bannigan at a 2018 Inglis Digital Sale, she was bought by Lynward Park for a bargain-priced $9,000. She has a yearling colt by Rommel and was last covered by Bondi.
Lynward Park stands Bondi (Snitzel) for a $6,600 service fee (inc GST). For bookings or further information, call Troy van Heemst on 0439 957 111.
Hoofnote: Perth trainer Grant Williams has decided his Star Turn mare Alsephina will start in the G3 R J Peters Stakes (1500m) on Saturday week leading into the G1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 25. “I’m doing it for fitness more than anything,” Williams said. “Willie (Pike) said she let down like she was going to win the Asian Beau Stakes the other day but he felt she hit a wall at the 100m.”