RISEVATA might have just the sort of story John “Mouse” Sinclair would have appreciated when the four-year-old gelding from Lambs Valley surged to a second win for his new stable in yesterday’s feature race at Quirindi.
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The Max Boland-trained gelding battled his way to a three quarter length win from Antonaire with Roman Circus another half length away in the $15,000 John “Mouse” Sinclair Memorial Benchmark 55 Handicap (1600m).
Sinclair was the Quirindi secretary for 28 years, from 1974 to 2002.
He was made a life member before passing away in 2012.
Boland and owner Bill Gurr had originally sent money down south to Risevata’s previous owners.
However “we got nothing back”, Gurr recalled.
After some more dealings, a local stud enabled not only Risevata to make his way north “but at a reduced price”, Gurr said as he paraded the gelding son of Benicio.
Risevata won his maiden at Tamworth two starts back and then followed a good third to Sobriquet (a winner at Bathurst yesterday) on a Heavy 8 with yesterday’s honest win.
Peter Graham (see page 24 for more on his John Carlton Cup hopes at Grafton tomorrow) rode Risevata and reported another tough win.
Boland works his four horses in the picturesque Lambs Valley, about 20 minutes south of Lochinvar.
“It’s back in the hills,” Boland said.
“It’s a beautiful spot although we were flattened by the floods.”
Risevata, he said, would make an even better horse when “he steps up in distance”.
“I think he’ll make a nice 2000m horse around the bush,” he said.
Also impressing yesterday were Tamworth-trained Flukes and Hammond Lane.
Flukes carried 62.5kg and gave his opposition a start before mowing them down with a big run down the outside.
It was Sam Clenton’s first day back in the saddle too but she was more delighted to have won for young trainer Cody Morgan.
The Tamworth trainer was an emotional young man after yesterday’s victory as he faces more court proceedings over 2013 allegations he treated his outstanding Cups horse, Prussian Secret, on the morning of the Gunnedah Cup.
Despite the protracted case, Morgan hopes to take Flukes to Grafton next week to run in the Clarence River Jockey’s Club’s annual July Carnival.
Hammond Lane could also find himself in Grafton after he won yesterday’s Emirates Park Class 2 Handicap.
It was his fifth race start for Sue Grills and has now won three races at Scone, Tamworth and Quirindi.