ALICE FILLY MAKES IT 8-FROM-8
Alice Springs-trained filly makes it eight from eight after big win in Adelaide
FLYING Alice Springs filly Desert Lashes – aka “Little Winx” – made it eight from eight winning the Listed Redelva Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville in Adelaide yesterday.
Starting the $3.80 oncourse favourite, Alice Springs-based trainer Lisa Lefoe’s undefeated threeyear-old showed her usual customary dash from an outside gate to cross to the lead after 200m.
Jockey Todd Pannell gave her some rein as they straightened and the Reward for Effort filly shot clear, blitzing a quality field by more than two lengths.
She ran 1:03.71 for the 1100m and ran her final 613m sectional in a lightning 33.62 seconds.
Among those who finished behind her were $2.3 million yearling El Divino, the highly-rated half-brother to champion mare Winx, and last start Group 3 Zeditave Stakes winner, Benz.
Ironically, Lefoe said some of her owners had already dubbed Desert Lashes as “Little Winx” because of her winning streak.
Yesterday’s win took her prizemoney earnings to more than $236,000 – not bad for a horse that was bought for only $2000 as a yearling.
Last night, Lefoe was overwhelmed after the dominant victory in a black-type race.
“Everything we throw at her she just handles it and she’s a dream come true,” he told the Sunday Territorian.
“She keeps on surprising us a little bit. It’s been a great ride so far.
“We only bought her for $2000 to run around the Ter- ritory and now we’ve won eight out of eight and are winning races in Adelaide, it’s a bit hard to believe.”
Lefoe said she was eyeing off a couple of races at Morphettville in a fortnight, which may include a crack at the Group 2 $500,000 Euclase Stakes (1200m).
“Whatever race we decide to run in, it’ll be another step up but we’ll wait and see,” Lefoe said.
While in South Australia, Desert Lashes has been staying at Lefoe’s brother-inlaw’s property in the Adelaide Hills.
The flying filly began her career with a debut win in a $20,000 two-year-old race at Alice Springs in April last year. She won her first five races at Pioneer Park in the Red Centre and her past three starts at Morphettville.
BREWERY threw form out the window and announced himself a leading contender for the Alice Springs Cup on May 1 with a dominant performance in the $40,000 Red Centre Technology Partners Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) at Pioneer Park yesterday.
Trained by Kerry Petrick and with stable jockey Felicia Bergstrand in the saddle, Brewery – at only his third start in the Territory – tracked the hot favourite Big Man from the outset and it was clear as far as 500m from the finish that an upset was on the cards.
Bergstrand sent her mount forward to challenge Big Man just before the home turn and the odds-on shot was quickly dispatched as Brewery went for home.
Over the final 200m, Brewery was clearly superior and although Adjuster kept on coming and Best Case battled bravely, they were never a serious chance to overhaul the Darwin-trained galloper.
At the line, Brewery, eased down, had 2¼ lengths to spare from Adjuster, with Best Case four and a-half lengths back and just ahead of Nite Rocker. Big Man weakened to finish fifth, almost eight lengths from the winner.
Formerly trained by Gerald Ryan at Rosehill, Brewery only entered Petrick’s stable in February after a two-start Gold Coast campaign in January. The son of Fastnet Rock had only raced at 1600m and further on three occasions before yesterday, for a second and a fifth placing, but the 2000m of the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup would appear to hold no fears for him.
Petrick had reason to celebrate further when her consistent five-year-old Bon Jet took out the race after the Cup, the Central Australian Removals Handicap (1400m).
Aided by a beautifully judged frontrunning ride by Bergstrand, Bon Jet stacked up the field down the back and kicked clear approaching the home turn.
He was always in control from that point and cruised home to win by four lengths from Henry Lad, with Party Set close-up third.
As expected, Super Bryan got back in the winner’s circle in the First National Framptons Handicap (1100m), but he had to fight hard to subdue Hook Me Up by a long neck.
With regular rider Barry Huppatz in the saddle, Will Savage’s talented 4YO tracked the leaders on the inside, got a lovely split at the top of the straight and once he bounded to the lead, looked set for an easy victory.
However, Hook Me Up, who had shared the lead throughout, fought back strongly and Huppatz had to be at his vigorous best to get the short-priced favourite home first.