Talented two-year-old Colmar provided a pair of firsts when he blitzed rivals to win the $150,000 Group 3 Sportsbet South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
It was a first Group victory for co-trainers Ron Daniel and Trish Stanbury and in-form jockey Sam Payne’s first Group win in the saddle when the Murray Bridge galloper demolished his rivals with a 5.8 length victory.
Colmar’s win completing a brilliant two-year-old season which has netted three wins and four placings from his nine starts and $269,315 in prizemoney.
“I remember him winning his first one and thinking he might be the best one (two-year-old) I’ve had…. He is!,’’ Daniel said.
“He’s a really good horse, he always comes in under the radar,’’ he said.
Colmar was well tried in betting to run a $3.90 chance on the back of his game effort in he Listed Oakland’s Plate at his previous start when he looked the winner only to have Femminile power home against the outside rail to score.
“I kept looking to the outside,’’ Daniel said.
Daniel said Colmar was a horse who saved his best for race day and would head for a break following his feature success.
“He’s very ordinary at trackwork, you wouldn’t back him in a maiden at Mortlake,’’ Daniel added
“He’s just one of those horses, jock (Sam Payne) has a really big opinion of him and so do I,’’ he said.
The win continuing the brilliant season for Payne, who has ridden 14 winners from his last 78 rides and he echoed Daniels comments regarding the horse’s talents.
“I love this little horse, Ronny has done such a good job with him and he actually did it easy,’’ Payne said.
Apprentice Taylor Johnstone also had a memorable day with had her first city winner since making the move to Adelaide with Exalted Dame to follow on from midweek success at Gawler.
At Port Augusta on Sunday local star Ginzinger Star wound back the clock to claimed the City of Port Augusta Cup (2300m) for the second time in three years when he held off stablemate Excelman in the feature.
Co-trainer’s Kylie McKerlie and Waylon Hornhardt taking training honours with a treble after Sweetwillhebe won the opening race and Sassy Angel scored later in the day.
Gawler trainer Peter Nolan landing a training double with Shikanic and Important Product taking out the final two races of the day.
There was plenty of SA success over the border during the two-day Mildura Cup Carnival.
On Friday Murray Bridge horseman Grant Young was in the winner’s stall with Brave Action (Jessica Eaton) who could back up in this weekend’s Listed Lightning Stakes, Nicole Irwin had success with Eureka’s Victory (Callan Murray) while Jacob Opperman rode a winner for Michelle Payne.
Richard and Chantelle Jolly had success on Saturday with Putanothercoinin, Matt Seyers had the second leg of a two-state double with Enlist (Anna Jordsjo) successful to go along with Test The Law’s win at Morphettville while South East trainers Bob and Kane Post had success with Coraggio.
