Weekend Wrap-up - Oscar Oscar Salons Ladies Raceday
FRESH off his sixth Group 1 triumph on Friday night, Tony Gollan was straight back into the winning list at Doomben on Saturday with Lyrical Girl and Shamaton running 1-2 in the Springsocial.com.au Benchmark 72 Handicap.
Gollan’s top sprinter Jonker held up his end of the bargain as part of Gollan’s long range plan to make the stallion a Group 1 winner.
Gollan identified the Manikato Stakes some time ago as the best target, given it was only six days after The TAB Everest and therefore would have most of the big names missing.
Jonker had been luckless in Sydney at his previous start, but after being a little slowly away on Friday night, mustered speed quickly and was able to control the race from the front.
It was Gollan’s second Group 1 victory at Moonee Valley, having won the 2014 William Reid Stakes with Spirit Of Boom. In a beautiful piece of symmetry, Jonker became the first Group 1 winner for the Eureka Stud based stallion on Friday night.
It was a good night at The Valley for Stradbroke season contestants, with Bella Nipotina running second to Jonker and Doomben Roses winner Only Words opening her spring carnival account in a support race on the card.
Gollan’s other career Group 1 wins have come via Temple Of Boom (2012 ATC The Galaxy), Spirit Of Boom (2014 Doomben 10,000), Krone (2021 Coolmore Classic) and Vega One (2021 Kingsford Smith Cup).
Lyrical Girl and Shamaton aren’t operating on the same level as Jonker, but they are still proving good money spinners and Lyrical Girl had a good contingent of MiRunners shareholders there to greet her upon her return to scale.
Sydney-bound Desleigh Forster will put her unbeaten two-year-old Exo Lady on ice after the Exosphere filly made it two from two at Doomben on Saturday.
Exo Lady was a $50,000 graduate of last year’s Magic Millions QTIS (March) Sale, but was not paid up for the race series, so is therefore ineligible for the 2YO Classic next January.
Unperturbed, Forster is happy to put her away for a little while and let her mature further.
Saturday’s race wasn’t without misadventure, after she was taken out of the gates and underwent a vet inspection before being cleared to start.
In her two starts, Exo Lady has now won $133,500.
On Thursday Forster will travel to Sydney with Apache Chase as he chases glory in the $7.5Million Golden Eagle at Rosehill.
Forster has carefully considered the decision on whether to travel or not, but has decided she wants to be a part of the action next Saturday at Rosehill.
Photo provided by: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography