Talented Wyong based trainer Denim Wynen will remember the most successful month in her nine-year training career after 4-year-old mare Alabama Blitz, a new addition to her small stable impressively won the 1600 metre The Prince of Merewether Class 1 Handicap at Saturday’s Newcastle Jockey Club race meeting.
The mother of two school-aged children has eight stables at Wyong and in the past three weeks of August she has trained four winners and three placings from ten starts. Two of her winners, Mokhana and Sunshine Law were successful on Saturday metropolitan race days and her four individual winners were cast offs from other trainers. Saturdays Newcastle winner Alabama Blitz was formally raced by world powerhouse Yulong Stud, and she had five starts in Victoria for one country win.
Maitland Insurance Brokers Steve and Amanda Morris paid $70,000 for the mare when she was listed for sale in the Inglis Digital sale in May. Prior to Saturday Alabama Blitz’s only other start for Wynen was at Newcastle on August 9 when she raced in the first couple before going down by a length. The lady took the blinkers off the mare on Saturday and jockey Rory Hutchings allowed her to drift back worse than midfield before making ground out wide approaching the home turn. The former Kiwi jockey headed towards the outside fence in the home straight and Alabama Blitz raced clear to win by 1.35 lengths.
Newcastle And Hunter Hall Of Fame trainer Peter Snowden dominated the Newcastle meeting with a treble and all three were ridden by Mitchell Bell. Snowden and Bell were very popular with the punters with the two well-backed favourites. The first of Snowden’s winners was the 3-year-old colt Powerhouse originally an emergency but with scratchings gained a start in the 1400 metre Klosters Newcastle Super Maiden. The colt raced keenly from the outset, and it was a tough win as he drew clear in the final stages to win by 1.25 lengths. The son of boom sire Extreme Choice and part owned by high profile Newgate Stud, Powerhouse put the writing on the wall when placed at Kembla early in the month.
Snowden’s lightly raced 5-year-old Mirra Impact appreciates heavy tracks, but he pulled hard in the early stages of the 1400 metre Benchmark 64 Handicap and Bell took him back to last in the small field. He made his run down the outside in the straight and put his nose in front on the line. The Snowden – Bell combination were at it again late in the day when Yulong owned mare Hurry Miss backed from $2.10 into $1.75 won the 1400 metre TAB APP Benchmark 64 Handicap by 4.38 lengths, the biggest winning margin of the day. Bell elected to sit outside the leader and when they reached the straight the jockey headed to the outside fence and it was a one act affair.
Kris Lees was the only Newcastle trainer successful at the meeting quinellaing the 1250 metre Tough Mudder Huntger Valley Sept Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap. In a driving finish Oakfield Duke, a heavy track specialist outgained Thundering Soul to win by .38 of a length. The winner has won eight races, four on heavy tracks.
Keagan Latham rode a double at the meeting and Aaron Bullock’s lone victory on Oakfield Duke was his sixteenth win of the new season, four ahead of James McDonald.
The Invades concert during the meeting as normal attracted a huge crowd of 18-25 yr olds with almost 5000 passing through the turnstiles.