Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will consider a shot at the group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at home with Hellavadancer after she relished soft ground to score the biggest win of her career. The five-year-old, raced by Hunter syndication company Australian Bloodstock, was strongest late to win the benchmark 78 handicap (1400m) for fillies and mares at Rosehill on Saturday.
Newcastle apprentice Ben Osmond gave Hellavadancer an ideal run just behind the leaders after she jumped well from gate five. Helped by Osmond’s three-kilogram claim, Hellavadancer edged out Godolphin pair Nanshe and Sequestered over the final furlong to prevail by three-quarters of a length. The $82,500 payday was the biggest yet for the Hellbent mare, which was a $100,000 yearling now with $381,615 in prizemoney.
She has won at city level in Queensland three times but Saturday’s victory was her first in Sydney and came after three top-four runs there at the same grade this time in. Lees said he would look next at the listed Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) at Wyong on September 1 with Helllavadancer before a potential shot at the Tibbie Stakes on September 20.
“Her ace up her sleeve is soft ground. She excels on it and she got that yesterday,” Lees said. “But she’s also carrying big weight and winning, aided by a lovely ride from Benny with the three-kilo claim.”
It was Osmond’s first Saturday winner in town for his boss after breaking through twice on Chris Waller-trained horses last season.
“He’s a hard worker, he does his homework,” Lees said on Saturday. “He came out and said I’ll try to be one-one again today.”
“He’s getting opportunities. He comes down and rides a bit for Chris down here, so he’s getting his chance and he’s making a good fist of it.”
Also on Saturday, Scone trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich enjoyed victory, when Intervarsity delivered in her second attempt at Highway Handicap grade.
The four-year-old mare won her first two starts, at Muswellbrook, then was sixth when well-fancied at Rosehill in a class 2 Highway over 1200m two weeks ago. She relished a clear run at the finish line from out wide on Saturday in a class 3 over 1300m. It was one of five winners on the day for premier jockey James McDonald.
“She needed plenty of room the filly and the other day, she was just cluttered up and never really got into galloping room at all, so it was nice to see it,” Messara said on Saturday.
“It probably wasn’t the best watching it, but I knew once she got into the clear and had plenty of room, I knew she’d be hard to run down.”
Scone was set to hold a seven-race card on Monday. The track was a Heavy 10 on Sunday. Lees had four acceptors but said Hell Of A Lad in the last was probably his only certain runner.
Photo credit: Bradleys Photos