Darci Brahma wise choice for Dennis Bros

THE decision to send mares to leading sire Darci Brahma paid off for wellknown Southland breeders Dennis Brothers at Winton yesterday.

Joe, Martin, Ray and Tony were already on to a winner before yesterday’s meeting, having produced the Darci Brahmasired The Precious One from their Ravelston Stud to burst on to the racing scene earlier this year from Claire Anderton’s stable.

Just two races into yesterday’s card, the brothers had three winners by the sire after The Sparkle won race 1 and The Lustre won race 2.

Both fillies were ridden by Chris Johnson and trained by the Dennis brothers along with Tony’s son, Robert.

The trainers went on to score a hattrick when Nightcap won race 3 for rider Gosen Jogoo.

Both The Sparkle and The Lustre hold nominations for the One Thousand Guineas, but of the two The Sparkle is more likely to join her relation The Precious One in the New Zealand Cup week classic.

‘‘She is just a more forward type. She is more physically forward and more mentally forward,’’ Robert Dennis said.

‘‘The Lustre will be a better horse in the autumn.’’

The Sparkle is likely to take her next step towards the big race over 1335m at Gore early next month rather than jumping up to the 1600m of the Zacinto Stakes at Riccarton later this month.

‘‘. . . we have only gone 1200m today so we might just be pushing it,’’ Robert Dennis said. ‘‘We might be better to go to Gore.’’

In something of a rare occurrence, the Dennis stable produced a winner that is not from their own Ravelston Stud breed yesterday. Nightcap (race 3), a Roc De Cambes 4yrold mare bred by The Oaks Stud, was formerly prepared by Graeme and Debbie Rogerson before moving south.

Later in the Winton programme, Come Fly With Me scored her second consecutive win in the Winton Cup for trainer Steven BlairEdie.

The trainer and winning rider, Lee Callaway, also produced He Aint Heavy to win the prior event on the card, race 6.

BlairEdie notched a treble of training wins when Wild Jack won race 10 for his stable apprentice Amless Bohorun.

In race 5, the open sprint, Sally McKay produced Kingpin to win while her star mare, Showemup, disappointed favourite punters by running third.