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A graduate of the 2012 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Swiftly Red (Testa Rossa x General Resolve) recorded her second win, from her last four starts, scoring by a short head in the Andy’s Earthmovers Handicap over 1400m for trainer Tony Noonan at Bendigo.

Raced by a large group of owners; Laurel Oak Jane Syndicate (Mgr: L J Mihalyka), A N Fitzgerald, Mrs M D Turnbull, Boeara Holdings Syndicate (Mgr: Mrs D A Dunphy), D A Jeffery, Mrs C J Jeffery, Miss A L Goble, K E O’Brien, Mrs T O’brien, P W Hickey, Mrs A M Hickey, Mrs M V Horrigan, P Sutton and Mrs R C Fitzgerald, Swiftly Red, now a four-year-old mare, has improved this time in and Noonan feels she will continue to improve, especially as the tracks get a bit wet underfoot during the Winter.

Holding off a late challenge in the final 50m of the race, Swiftly Red held on to record her fourth consecutive top four finish.

“I’ve got to give a lot of thanks to my foreman Viv Bertrand and Lisa Jones who manages our farm,” Noonan said.

“They have done a lot of work with the mare who has had blood enzyme problems in the past and a lot of people have worked extremely hard and got a lot out of her.”

Ridden by leading jockey Nick Hall, he continued his perfect record on the mare, two rides for two wins!

Jumping from barrier 1, Swiftly Red pinged out of the gates forcing Lilian to work hard in the early stages to find the lead.

Settling Swiftly Red in the run, Hall eventually gave up the lead but gave his mare the dream run in transit on the fence, one behind Lilian.

Peeling out at the top of the straight, Hall peeled out and balanced up Swiftly Red ($4.60) who was strong to the line to score by a head from Deeming ($6.00) and Ungreatful Ellen ($2.70) in third.

“I was happy to switch her over to the left and it really got her through the line,” Hall said.

There is not as much prestige and a considerable difference in stakes than the obvious alternative.

But for Sydney sprinter Rebel Dane and his trainer Gary Portelli, winning the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley promises to be just as significant as a victory in the TJ Smith Stakes.

Looking to Rebel Dane’s future beyond the racetrack, Portelli and the horse’s syndicate of owners have chosen the lesser of two Group One sprint races run eight days apart in setting the entire for a first-up Melbourne win.

Rebel Dane is also already a Group One winner but another success at racing’s elite level would add value to his career as a commercial sire.

“We are probably a better chance of winning a Group One if we go to Moonee Valley rather than go to Randwick and be a ten-to-one shot and run another place in the TJ Smith,” Portelli said.

“The William Reid is a Group One race, he’s a stallion and it’s very important for him if we can get him over the line.”

Rebel Dane earned $450,000 in finishing second to Lankan Rupee in last year’s TJ Smith and he gets $240,000 for a William Reid win.

“It would have been great to race him in both because it’s hard to turn your back on a race worth two and a half million dollars,” Portelli said.

“We ran second in the TJ last year with him but it wasn’t going to be any easier this year. Terravista is going to be there and so is Chautauqua.

“Around the Valley he’s been competitive against Lankan Rupee and Buffering but on the bigger tracks they’ve just had that little bit on us.”

Rebel Dane was among a host of unlucky runners when figuring in a blanket finish behind Lankan Rupee in last year’s Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley and Portelli says his horse is due for a change of fortune at the track.

“He’s had a couple of goes at the Valley and he’s been unlucky so hopefully his turn comes this time,” Portelli said.

“The field is a rung below the TJ Smith but there’s still genuine Group One horses like Angelic Light and Famous Seamus so it’s not going to be a walk in he park for anyone.”
News from Just Horse Racing

In what was a really good sale for Laurel Oak Bloodstock, we were fortunate enough o secure four yearlings, outlined below.

Lot 113: Fastnet Rock x Dance To My Tune colt from the draft of Newgate Farm (as agent for Morning Rise Stud) was purchased from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $140,000.

The colt is the first living foal of the dual Listed-winning, Group One placed Stravinsky mare Dance To My Tune.

Mares by Stravinsky have produced four Group One winners to date, and three are bred on the Danehill-line x Stravinsky cross – Lankan Rupee, Mosheen and Pataques, while the other is the three-time Group One winner Rip Van Winkle.

To view Pedigree, please click here.

Lot 269: Fastnet Rock x Valkyrie Diva filly from the draft of Milburn Creek (as agent for Makybe) was purchased from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $280,000.

Out of the Group 3 winner Valkyrie Diva (Jade Robbery), a half-sister to none other than Makybe Diva, as well as stakes winners Musket and La Amistad, this colt is a three-quarter brother to the Listed winner Wales (Redoute’s Choice).

This pedigree cross of Fastnet Rock x Jade Robbery mare has produced one winner from one runner, the Group 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Jade Marauder.

To view Pedigree, please click here.

Lot 319: Reward For Effort x Lickety Lemon colt from the draft of Chatswood Stud was purchased for $60,000 from the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

From the second crop of the Group One Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort, the colt is the second foal out of the Listed winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Lickety Lemon, a half-sister to Street Cry’s Listed winner Cry Of Freedom.

From the family of Group 1 winners Seven Springs, Distant View, Regal State, Pleasantly Perfect and Elusive Kate, mares by Lemon Drop Kid have produced almost 40 stakes performers.

To view Pedigree, please click here.

Lot 697: Star Witness x Long Long Ago colt was purchased for $85,000 from the draft of New Zealand vendor Henley Park (as agent) on the final day of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

From the second crop of the dual Group 1 winner Star Witness, this colt is the first foal out of the winning Lonhro mare Long Long Ago, herself a daughter of a sister to Group 1 winners Universal Prince and Universal Queen.

To view Pedigree, please click here .

The saying “I’ve been everywhere man”….really applies to our four-year-old Fastnet Rock mare Posh Rock, having done her earlier racing in Victoria before a few runs in New South Wales and then back to Victoria where she was successful at winning the Racing.com Maiden Plate over 1400m at Ballarat on Thursday for trainer Tony Noonan.

Finishing just over two lengths in fourth position when racing fist-up this time in, the step up in trip really helped the mare to break her maiden and start to show some promise.

Jumping away with the rest of the field, she went forward to settle in fourth position with the favourite on her inside.

Never letting the well-backed runner out of his sight, jockey Jake Noonan had the favourite pocketed and kept him there, stuck right behind the leading duo with nowhere to go.

Posh Rock surged late to take the event by a head with favourite backers left wondering what may have been.. but oh well.. Posh Rock won and that is all that matters!

Purchased from the Magic Millions Yearling sale from the draft of Newhaven Park Stud, Posh Rock is a full-brother to the Group Three-winning, Group One placed We’re Gonna Rock from a family that includes the Group One Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso.

Not only do the connections take home the first place prize money collect, but the also had an additional $20,000 VOBIS Gold bonus added in!

Well done to Laurel Oak Harriet (Mgr: L J Mihalyka), Mystery Downs (Mgr: F W Cook), A N Fitzgerald, Glenloth Racing (Mgr: P W Hickey), T D Millard, A R Bennett, J D C Allen, Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Mgr: S P Grant), Talbot Racing (Mgr: E T Aldridge), Ms C Munnich, R J Barker and Mrs R C Fitzgerald on the victory of the well bred mare.

A special mention to trainer Tony Noonan, with the victory of Posh Rock foillowing on from the recent wins of Grand Orator and Swiftly Red in the past month!

Swiftly Red went on to finish third two races after Posh Rock was successful at Ballarat.

When it was made public that shares were available in Group One winner Dissident as a stallion prospect, Laurel Oak Bloodstock jumped at the chance to secure a small share.

On Saturday we were rewarded when the Peter Moody-trained runner crossed the line in front, claiming his fourth Group 1 victory – the CF Orr Stakes.

Below is The Racing Network’s report on the victory.

Dissident added a fourth Group 1 victory to his name after winning Saturday’s $400,000 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Settling fourth with cover away from the fence, Dissident ($2.80 favourite) sprinted best to overrun early leader Entirely Platinum ($13) by 1½ lengths.

Mourinho ($21), who settled behind the leader, finished third a further long neck away.

Java ($8.50) raced outside Entirely Platinum in the lead and stuck on admirably for fourth in the on-pace dominated race.

Dissident’s victory provided Moody with his fifth win in the C.F. Orr Stakes in the past six years.

Moody has won the race with Typhoon Tracy (2010 and 2011), Black Caviar (2012) and Moment of Change (2014).

“I’m just proud of the horse, he has done a tremendous job,” Moody said.

“It’s good to see him bounce back from the Valley (when third in the Australia Stakes) and over seven furlongs to a mile he is almost unbeatable, certainly under these conditions.”

Dissident has raced 19 times for six wins and seven placings with prizemoney now just below the $2.1 million mark.

The four-year-old entire by Sebring will have his next start in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 28 before being sent to Sydney for a tilt at races such as the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and Doncaster Mile (1600m).

However Moody is mindful of protecting his stud value and should the weather deteriorate during Sydney’s autumn carnival, he might be retired to stud immediately.

“It’s not a matter of not running him in races he can’t win, it’s a matter of not running him in conditions he can win as he’s not at his best on soft ground,” Moody added.

Grand Orator proved too strong on his home track for Mornington-based trainer Tony Noonan who is having a stellar week with his third winner in five days.

Settling at the back of the field in the Chadwick Grimmond Engineers Handicap over 1200m under New Zealand apprentice Michael Dee, Grand Orator created a few nervous furlongs for Noonan and connections.

“Coming into the turn, you’d have probably ripped your ticket up but on his home track, we knew he was capable of doing that uphill work in the straight and Michael rode him with good confidence,” Noonan said.

“He’s still only lightly raced for a 6-year-old and he’s one of the most honest workers you can find in a stable.

“It’s just a great win for Louis (Mihalyka) at Laurel Oak and his entire team.”

Giving the leader eight lengths at the top of the straight, Dee pulled Grand Orator out to be the widest runner upon straightening.

Once balanced up, Dee pulled for the whip 100m from home where the Grand Orator ($6) responded gallantly to produce an electric burst of speed to score by half-a-length from Spencer Street ($8) and Count The Interest ($13) in third.

The win was Dee’s second metropolitan win for Noonan from as many rides for the stable since the apprentice’s arrival in Australia.

“We watched him (Dee) a lot in New Zealand and were amazed that he could claim 3(kg) in the city,” Noonan said.

“He did the job for us on Saturday and again today so I have no doubt he is going places.”

Today’s win brought Grand Orator’s prize money earnings to $119,223 from 22 starts.

News from Tony Noonan Racing