Newcastle apprentice William Stanley completed a busy four days when he steered home two winners at the Wine Country race meeting on the Beaumont track on Monday. Stanley apprenticed to Kris Lees flew to Melbourne to ride his boss’s sprinter Power Of The Brave at the Mooney Vally meeting on Friday night. He had no luck with his two mounts at The Valley and likewise when he went to Kembla for the one ride on Saturday. Stanley then travelled to Port Macquarie on Sunday where he had three mounts and one winner.
At Newcastle on Monday, he won the opening event, the 1350 metre Cancer Council Stars Of Newcastle Maiden Handicap aboard the Quirindi trained Supreme Statement and the 1350 metre NZB Ready To Run Class 1 Handicap on the Cessnock trained Dreymon. Supreme Statement was formerly trained by the Waterhouse- Bott stable and on Monday the gelding was having his fourth start for Cheryl Grouse and was backed from $2.05 into $1.90. Stanley allowed the favourite to settle second last in the small field and despite carrying 60 kilograms he was strong late to win by .61 of a length.
The apprentice’s other winner Dreymon has been racing consistently with a strong Scone win in September and a last start placing at Muswellbrook on October 20. Stanley produced another patient ride and Dreymon settled well back before sticking his nose out on the winning post. The winner was friendless with punters as his starting price of $16 indicated. Dreymon is a one-man horse as his trainer Alan Smith bred and owns the 5-year-old, and he is his strapper on race days. Smith only has two gallopers in work at Cessnock.
It has been a great period in the life of William Stanley after the 21-year-old joined the Lees stable on the recommendation of Corey Brown late last year. He rode 42 winners last season and has ridden 12 this season. On the home front, Stanley and his wife, former jockey Chelsea Ings recently welcomed their first child Layla.
Matthew Smith was the most successful trainer at the Beaumont track meeting with a double. He produced a nice 3-year-old filly on debut in the 1150 metre A-Plus Contracting & Poly Welding Maiden Plate, Snowslide a daughter of Headwater, bred and raced by the Scone based Cressfield, trialed impressively in a Randwick trial on October 7. Anna Roper had the mount, and the filly was backed from $12 into $6.50 on Monday. After settling midfield Roper drove Snowslide to a clear lead halfway down the straight and she won by 1.34 lengths.
The second leg of Smith’s double was Mediaro in the 2100 metre Hungerford Hill Wine Country Cup and it was a great training performance. The son of Lonhro had been unplaced in two unsuitable races recently after being off the scene since July 2023. He was a clear last during Monday’s race before Reece Jones made his run from the 400 metres out. Mediaro stormed home down the outside of the field to win by three quarters of a length.
Andrew Adkins travelled to Newcastle for one ride on the Scone mare Ready And Lucky in the final event the 1350 metre The Prince Of Merewether Benchmark 66 Handicap. The $2.30 favourite was trapped three wide with no cover throughout and after taking the lead at the top of the straight fought hard to win by a head.
The crowd was boosted by the 100 or more members of the My Racehorse syndicate which had Newy the $3.70 favourite in the 1150 metre Maiden Plate. Andrew Gibbons said the horse needs a further trip and he was happy with Newys performance.