WYONG: Mona Lisa Win Leaves Parr Smiling
Story By Grahame Timbrell
Friday, 3 September 2010:  | | Josh Parr |
Brasileira outlasted the Gai Waterhouse trained Once Were Wild to win by a nose after the pair staged a thrilling head for head duel over the last 100 metres.
The Chris Waller trained Vintedge was a further one and quarter lengths away third.
“My mare coasted up to the lead but I wanted something to come at us to make her work,” Parr said.
“We certainly got that the other horse.
“But my horse kept fighting back and she stuck her head out on the line.”
It was Brasileira's first black type win and capped a great winter campaign by the mare in which she has won three races and run two seconds from six starts.
“She has done a great job and might have earned a spell soon,” Snowden's foreman, Lee Kunde, said.
“She is a mare with a touch of class and Peter will be thrilled with this win.”
Parr was ecstatic after the win.
“Winning a feature on the Central Coast, where I grew up, makes it all the more special,” Parr said.
The first up effort by Once Were Wild, the AJC Oaks winner last April, was full of merit as she heads towards the Caulfield Cup.
* LIGHT Brigade, a $1.4 million yearling, earned himself a trip to Melbourne for the spring carnival following his impressive debut win on Wyong Cup day.
The Gai Waterhouse trained entire, bought for $1.4 million at last year's Easter sale, led for most of the trip to win the Sky Racing Maiden (1200m).
Jockey Glyn Schofield described the compact colt as “green but exciting.”
“He is a lovely mover and has a lovely stride,” Schofield said.
“Once he puts it all together he is going to be a very exciting horse.”
Light Brigade jumped on terms with the field but Schofield let him balance up before driving through along the rail to take the lead.
In the straight he settled down to a battle with the well backed Anthony Cummings trained Fort Chauvel.
However when Schofield pulled the stick Light Brigade responded gamely to win comfortably although he did want to run about in the last 100 metres.
Bloodstock agent James Bester, who bought Light Brigade for Kia Ora Stud and Bob Scarborough, said that although Light Brigade was only small he was perfectly formed.
“He is very classy and the sweetest mover I have ever seen,” Bester said.
“Gai is very excited about him and was going to send him to Brisbane for the TJ Smith but he went shin sore after winning his second trial,” Bester said.
“The horse went to the paddock instead and it certainly did not do him any harm.
“He will go to a mid week race in town, then to a Listed race before going to Melbourne for the Carbine Club Stakes on Derby Day (at Flemington).”
* TOUGH galloper Lucky Elmo will back up in the $50,000 Ballina Cup (1600m) on Thursday if he pulls up well following his win in the $20,000 Altona Electrics Springtime Stakes (1200m).
“I will wait and see how he pulls up but if I am happy with him he will start,” Taree based trainer Bindi Cheers said.
Cheers has developed a great knack of finding cheap horses and winning races with them by backing them up quickly.
She bought Lucky Elmo's dam Crafty Luck for $1000 with Lucky Elmo a foal at foot.
The four year old has now earned more than $165,000 in prize money from five wins and 12 placings in 31 starts.
“It's the best $1000 I ever spent,” Cheers said.
* WYONG trainer John Hubbard continued a successful working holiday when Saturday Matinee (Tim Clark) won the Central Coast Holden Magic Mile (1600m).
Hubbard and his wife Sue have been in Ballina for the last month with Threat and Walpersdorf and while neither horse has won a race they have several Brisbane placings and $30,000 in prize money to their credit.
“It certainly is a great way to have a cheap holiday,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard flew home earlier in the week to put the finishing touches to Saturday Matinee's preparation while Sue stayed in Ballina with the other two.
Hubbard flies back to Ballina tomorrow to prepare Threat for Thursday's $50,000 Ballina Cup (1600m).
Saturday Matinee will now go to Sydney for a mid week race.
“She has come back really well from a spell,” Hubbard said.
“The owners have her leased and she will probably race to the end of the season then go to stud.
“But I think there are a few more wins in her.”
* FORMER Melbourne galloper Villiers made an impressive debut for the Kris Lees stable with a first up win in the Clubs NSW Class One (1350m) and proved leading jockey Hugh Bowman wrong.
The horse came to Lees with a Terang maiden win to its credit but on the strength of today's win there are much better races in store for him.
“I like him,” Bowman said.
“He raced like a fresh horse early and was gone at the 100 metres but kept digging deep.
“I rode him in two trials and told Kris both times he would not win until he got to 1600 metres.
“That shows how wrong I was.”
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