Lyonesse stays on winning way

IN-FORM mare Lyonesse took a long time to win her maiden, but it seems winning has given her a new lease of life.

In Hobart yesterday she made it successive wins when she stormed down the outside fence with Craig Newitt aboard to win a Class 1 handicap over 1100m.

The Tammy Mollrosstrained mare settled midfield and travelled well to the home turn where Newitt aimed her at the outside fence in the straight.

Gee Gee Cats hit the front but he had no answer to the mare’s powerful finish.

Lyonesse hit the line 1½ lengths clear of Gee Gee Cats with Glory Blaze coming from well back to grab third a halflength astern.

“She’s a nice mare that has found good form and she’ll probably win more races be- cause she is honest,” Mollross said. Newitt agreed with the trainer’s sentiments and added that the mare has learnt how to win and that she “showed that today”.

Newitt rode in the opening race that resulted in five jockeys being hospitalised and one horse being put down.

“Fortunately I escaped the carnage because it all unfolded around me,” Newitt said.

“It didn’t look good but we are all hoping that the riders are back in the saddle as soon as possible.” KING MANU returned to his best form to score a game win in the Schweppes Benchmark 64 Handicap over 1600m.

The Tegan Keys-trained nine-year-old had been close at four of his previous five outings, but it may have been a couple of weeks at Jenny James’ Patherton Park Racing Stables at Seven Mile Beach that rejuvenated the gelding.

King Manu has been a good money-spinner since joining Keys’ stable almost two years ago with this latest win his fourth for Keys, but he has also notched nine minor placings.

“I was thinking of retiring him but he loves racing so much I’ll keep him going while he is still competitive,” Keys said.

“I just want to thank Jenny [James] because the horse has really thrived at her place and Georgie Catania has been working the horse and I want to thank her for all of her help.” TURTLES NEST delivered a career-best effort to pull off an old-fashioned betting plunge in a Benchmark 64 handicap over 1400m.

The Terry Evans-trained gelding was backed in from $14 to $5.50 and while his winning margin over Axion was only a half-head, it was the way he went about winning the race that impressed most.

Turtles Nest led but was pestered by his stablemate Little Elsa to the home turn.

But when jockey Troy Baker gave Turtles Nest more rein he sped clear and when aimed at the outside fence to find the best going the gelded son of Turffontein dug deep and refused to wilt when tackled by Axion 150m out.

Turtles Nest fought back when headed to defeat Axion by a half-head.

Biscay Barb was a length away in third place.