April 2015

Always having held this colt in high regard, as evident by his debut run in the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington (1400m) back in March, the Tony Noonan-trained Mr Optimistic has been in Queensland for a few weeks and made his local debut today at the Gold Coast.

Starting the clear favourite, jockey Luke Dittman jumped the colt away well from the inside barrier in the 12 horse field and he settled back on the rail with cover.

Working home when it mattered, Luke Dittman got the best out of Mr Optimistic to hit the lead with 150m to go, winning the race by a length and three quarters to break his maiden at just his third career start.

Trainer Tony Noon was clearly elated with the victory, “We’ve always had an enormous opinion of this colt which is why we bought him up to Queensland,” Noonan said.

“He’s been doing a few things wrong in his races but he jumped well today for the first time and Luke (Dittman) did an excellent job to get off the fence when he did.”

With no firm plans in place as to where the colt will head now, with Queensland riches just around the corner, it could be tempting to aim the colt at some stakes races during the carnival.

By Darley stallion Domesday, Mr Optimistic is out of the Anabaa mare Be Positive, a mare we raced to Group 3 victory in the Victoria Plate in partnership with various owners with Tony a few years back.

Congratulations to trainer Tony Noonan, jockey Luke Dittman and to owners Laurel Oak Norman (Mgr: L J Mihalyka), Boeara Holdings (Mgr: Mrs D A Dunphy), S P Reilly, M J Birrell, A N Fitzgerald, Bobbin Along (Mgr: A Cork), Mrs S M Ridgway, A Mavridis, Miss S J Collins, W H A Rigg, P A Innes, Club Number One (Mgr: L J Mihalyka), Mrs N C Birrell and B D Bryant on the victory.

The Keith Dryden-trained duo, WARINDA and CRUSADER GENERAL, were both poking along in reasonable form in their own grade in February, when the decision was made to target them both for the Country Championships Qualifier at Goulburn late in March, which we hoped would flow on to a run in the Country Championships at Randwick during The Championships.

Both horses fell short in that ambitious program, so we “resumed normal programs” with both of them.

With Warinda we established at the end of last preparation that 1600m seemed his ideal distance. However with the distraction of The Championships over 1400m, we kept him at shorter distances for longer than we otherwise would have. Once we had moved on from that plan, he ran a fast-finishing fourth over 1600m in a strong race at Goulburn, and the decision was made to try him over 2000m. That didn’t work at all, as he pulled too hard in the slow tempo, and didn’t finish off.

Back to 1600m in Canberra for what was only his third attempt at his “best distance”, at his 20th career start, jockey Brendan Ward had him perfectly placed and travelling sweetly on the fence behind the leaders. When he got into clear running 300m from home, Warinda quickly joined the leaders and had the race in his keeping to come away for a comfortable 1.5 length win. With two wins and a good fourth now at that distance, we will certainly be sticking to it, and there is a chance that he may back up into another 1600m race at Wagga this coming Thursday, 30 April.

Meanwhile Crusader General was going for the Laurel Oak double two races later. Once he had moved on from The Championships objective, he won his next start in Canberra on Golden Slipper Day. Then a poorly-judged ride saw him finish well back in Canberra two weeks later, before having another go over 1400m last Friday.

With his drawing wide in the small six-horse field, jockey Kathy O’Hara’s instructions were to get cover, and the only way she could do that was to go back to last. In a clever piece of riding, Kathy cut the corner as they turned for home to go underneath two horses rather than around them. However she was still three lengths off the leaders and not coming quickly enough. Fortunately Crusader General stoked up under Kathy’s riding, and was flying at the finish.

With three horses across the track in front of him, with about fifty to go he was most likely going to finish either first or fourth, but  more likely the latter. Thankfully he really motored in the last 50m and arrived in time to score a long-neck win in a four-way finish, to make it two wins from his last three starts.

As we reported on his previous victory in last month’s edition of Grandstand View, getting him back to winning form was very satisfying for everyone concerned, as he was coming back from a double knee injury that had him off the scene for eighteen months.

Keith will now look for another suitable race for him.

The double took Keith to a five-win lead in the local trainers premiership, with three meetings to go to the end of the season, so we hope he can hang on to win another premiership. It has been a great season for Keith, as his main opposition in Canberra includes talented young trainers, Nick Olive and Matt Dale, and the strong Barbara Joseph stable, all of whom have good-sized racing teams.

News From Grandstand View

Secured from the 2014 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Laurel Oak Bloodstock for $130,000 from the draft of Broadwater Thoroughbreds, two-year-old Northern meteor filly Flash In The Dark travelled from her Canberra base to Wagga to make her debut on Sunday in the Alert Handicap over 1000m.

Given barrier 12 of 13 in a field of mainly unraced juveniles, the race day favourite was the Nick Olive-trained Lock The Doors who last campaign had finished just under five lengths from Ottoman, with Pride Of Dubai in third – both of those two-year-olds going on to claim stakes races during the carnivals.

Finding the 900m of a barrier trial in November too short, the Laurel Oak Pink Syn, F W Cook, T D Millard, Back To The Bay Syn, B L J Syn, Club Dryden Syd, H R Wallace, M G Houston, M K Graham, V A Elvin and C J Elvi–owned filly was well supported for her racetrack debut, but as she was having her first start, there is always the unknown of racing, plus added fact it is two-year-old racing!

Settling just behind the leaders getting a perfect run, jockey Brendan Ward asked the filly for an effort about 300m from home, and she surged through a gap to defeat Our Project by a head with a neck back to the race favourite in third.

Trained Keith Dryden was suitably impressed by the performance post-race stating that while he felt the filly would run well, she would be better over further.

Set to head to a lucrative Inglis Bonus race next time out, best of luck to her connections!

Returning to the track after a 12 week break, the Tony Noonan trained Anaphora (Dylan Thomas x Power of Love) scored a very classy two-and-a-quarter length win in Perco Australia Maiden Plate (1200m) at Mornington.

Recording two placed efforts from her four starts last time in, the three-year-old filly clearly appreciated the break, and after settling well back in the run, produced an exciting turn of foot to break her maiden with jockey Jake Noonan in the saddle.

With gate 15 of 15 proving no problem for the Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd Synd, Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd Synd, Four Up Synd, A Fitzgerald, Club Number One Synd, P & Mrs J Macbeth, M Mannix, R Spargo, P Atley, B Marotta, R Lloyd, D Russell, Miss E Morrissey and Mrs E Grant owned filly, Noonan has always held this filly in high regard.

“This was a very deserving win for her connections,” Noonan said.

“They have been very patient and she really should have won before today so it’s a great result.”

“I’ve always said she is a Saturday class filly so it’s great for her to get the monkey off her back because she’s just had no luck in her past runs.”

Starting to make her run 600m from home, the Dylan Thomas filly powered strongly in what was a performance of a filly who can get further as her dam Power Of Love, who was raced in similar ownership was a winner up to 1600m and was placed up to 2000m.

It has been a great few days for the Laurel Oak Bloodstock and trainer Tony Noonan, having scored a victory a few days back with Swiftly Red at Bendigo.

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.