Well Isle be, maiden chases rich prize
GEELONG trainer Kathryn Durden says the opportunity for her horse The Black Isle to win a share of $50,000 in a maiden race today was too good to pass up.
Sportsbet has sponsored a race at Ballarat today and named it The Hotham — a satirical take at Australia’s richest race The Everest, which runs in Sydney for $10 million on Saturday.
Reverse ballot entry conditions for The Hotham gave priority to horses who have not won for up to 58 starts, with The Black Isle scoring a place after 25 runs without a win.
The $50,000 prizemoney, of which $27,500 goes to the winner, makes The Hotham the richest maiden yet run in Australia.
“I just thought it was a great chance for poorly performed horses to recoup some of the money their owners have spent on them,” Durden said, acknowledging The Black Isle’s owners, who have been long supporters of the stable.
“I just forwarded it on to his owner . . . ( I ) thought it was a great opportunity.”
The horse was bred by the owners, who also raced the dam Kyleakin with Durden.
Durden, trainer of champion jumper Wells, also trains The Black Isle’s four-year-old maiden sister Loch Fyne.
“They’ve had quite a few before with me,” she said of Mr and Mrs McCullagh.
“This horse’s dam, Kyleakin, was actually a really handy mare — she won in town and won a Casterton Cup, so she was a good mare.”
But not even Kyleakin, who won at Sandown and finished her career with $132,110 in winnings, returned $27,500 in one outing.
“I think they’d be over the moon, it’s just a super opportunity for people that have persevered and put a lot of money into horses,” Durden said.
“It is hard to line up the form; the horse has performed quite well on a few occasions, so I’m hoping with the easy week I gave him that he can put his best foot forward.”