HAPPY RETURN

TE AWAMUTU-BASED accountant Keith Pennell returned to his favourite stamping round as an owner, Ellerslie racecourse, to win the $40,000 Chairman’s Trophy (1400m) yesterday with underrated mare Te Toro Lass.

Pennell has formerly enjoyed many highlights at Ellerslie, including wins in the Group 1 Ellerslie Sires’ Produce Stakes with Ballroom Babe, as well as the Group 1 Easter Handicap and Group II City Of Auckland Cup with Pasta Post.

It was the seventh career win for Te Toro Lass, who is trained at Te Awamutu by Graeme and Mark Sanders, and was ridden at Ellerslie by Mark Sweeney.

Pennell has raced horses with the Sanders stable over a long period of time and experienced his first win with them when Native Doll was successful at an Ellerslie meeting in March, 1994.

However, that was not Pennell’s first-ever win. That came when the Warren Collett-trained Rosetown Boy won at an Avondale meeting in October, 1993.

Pennell has enjoyed many highs with horses from Sanders Racing Stables.

Another handy performer Pennell raced from the Sanders’ barn was the Group III winner, Party Queen. Pennell races Te Toro Lass in partnership with his uncle Craig Pennell, who lives at Te Toro, near Waiuku. ‘‘She is the first horse Craig has had to the races and he’s struck a good one,’’ Pennell said. Pennell bred Te Toro Lass (by Ekraar) who hails from the same family as the two-time Singapore horse-of-the-year Ouzo.