Petain adds to trainer’s impressive win record
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees continued his successful targeting of Clifford Park races when Petain added to the stable’s high Toowoomba winning strike-rate on Saturday.
Petain ($1.95) got favourite punters off to a flying meeting start with a determined win for jockey Jarrod Woodhouse in the PB Agrifood Class 1 Plate (1625m).
After parking in third spot on the rails until straightening, Petain surged through a gap inside the final 200m to find the line solidly for a longneck victory.
By The Law ($15) loomed as a possible race winner for jockey Ruby Ride inside the final 150m before Petain gained his winning split between runners.
Mr Misunderstood ($6) was doing his best work late to finish a length back third.
Petain is a member of Lees’s Gold Coast satellite stable with his victory lifting it to a 50% Toowoomba winning strike rate from a select number of runners.
Toowoomba filly Rosendahl Red ($1.65) broke through for her first in style after scoring one of the night’s easiest wins in the Christine Tully Chiropractic Maiden Handicap (1300m).
Rosendahl Red was the third successive favourite to salute on the card when she coasted to a 53⁄4-length victory over Fake News ($6.50) for jockey Gary Geran in class record time.
The Red Dazzler threeyear-old was having her sixth career start for trainer Matt Kropp and put the writing on the wall for Saturday’s win with a hard-finishing second behind Mishani Roman at her previous Clifford Park outing.
The Kropp stable made it two for the night when Atouchmore ($7) arrived to down $2.50 favourite Red Prince by a nose in the Oakey Tyreright Benchmark 70 Handicap for apprentice Hannah Phillips.
■ PREMIER Clifford Park jockey Nozi Tomizawa will play a hands-on role at Australia’s biggest race day when he partners Gold Coast mare Sylpheed for trainer Tony Edmonds in tomorrow’s Group Three Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
Sylpheed is listed as an $81 chance in early markets.