March 1, 2021
Cat lovers and omen punters would have cleaned up at the recent Nanango meeting when Kitty Kat’s Kitten licked her rivals in the Timbertowner’s Car Detailing QTIS Maiden Plate (1200m).
The well-named daughter of the Tale of the Cat stallion Whittington, after purring along in the lead for Hannah Phillips, gave her local owner-trainer Janene Armstrong a tremendous thrill.
Unfortunately, the side went through the very opposite type of emotion at Chinchilla on Saturday.
The mare bled in running but, most importantly, survived.
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Wondai’s Winning Spree
Kristen Wenck has reason to be over the moon about Allena.
Her charge has now saluted three times from her last four assignments.
The run began at Kilcoy on New Year’s Eve. Three weeks later, the chestnut filled fifth berth on a soft surface at Dalby.
In the middle of last month she prevailed impressively on a firm track at Nanango. The Zizou seven-year-old was the first to jump from the barrier stalls that are named in honour of Colin Ryan, Wenck’s late grandfather.
At Chinchilla last weekend, Allena, handled as usual by Kelly Gates, scored in the Open Handicap.
Under Kristen’s tutelage, the sprinter has earnt more than $20,000 courtesy of a 6-3-1-0 form line.
Meanwhile, Elusive Element is another successful galloper that works out at Wondai.
The Red Element gelding, that is raced and prepared by Kym Afford, won at Gladstone on February 20.
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Richardson’s Mixed Day
Sherwood Prince ($41 from $31) appeared disappointing in the straight at the Sunshine Coast in the males’ division of the $125,000 Tattersall’s Events Jewel Prelude (1000m).
After being prominently placed for Tiffani Brooker, the juvenile from the Glenn Richardson yard did not show his usual pluck on Saturday.
The bright note for the stable was Vermutin’s Benchmark 60 victory for Hannah Richardson at Chinchilla.
The team has done well to get the Unusual Suspect (USA) gelding to the winner’s slot so soon after a long lay off.
The bay’s last outing for trainer Patrick Sexton was in a Doomben midweek at the very end of its three-year-old season. The $151 chance, after being handy but three wide without cover, compounded in the straight on the soft track.
Vermutin subsequently joined Richardson’s Nanango string and resumed after a seven-month absence at his new home track last month with Nathan Evans in the pigskin.
The $2.80 pop was slowly away and stewards reported that he was held up for clear running from the 400 metres until a point near the 200 metre mark. The lightly raced performer made late ground and was cherry ripe for last weekend’s mission. The Richardson duo had beaten all bar Allena with Sweet Venom earlier on the card.
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Coming Up
- On Tuesday, Hannah Richardson, Hannah Phillips and Paul Hamblin sport silk at Emerald’s TAB fixture.
- Dalby and Gympie are the country venues next Saturday.
- Nanango’s very popular Easter Saturday meeting is a month away.
