News

Classic Day for Hurtle Myrtle at Flemington

29th Oct 2011

On arguably Australia’s best day of racing, Hurtle Myrtle defeated the country’s best fillies and mares over a mile to claim her first Group One victory in the VRC Myer Classic.

In doing so HURTLE MYRTLE ($55,000 2008 Classic, 5m Dane Shadow-Ravenswood) became the third individual Group One winner for Kitchwin Hills stallion Dane Shadow.

In a trio of firsts, it was the mare’s first start at Flemington, her first win past 1400m and the first Group One winner for her Warwick Farm based trainer Matthew Smith, whose wife Melissa is a part owner of the mare.

Before today Hurtle Myrtle was already a dual Group Two winner and with today’s success taking her past the $750,000 mark in career prizemoney she is proving to be a bargain buy.

Offered for sale in the Kitchwin Hills draft, Hurtle Myrtle is from Dane Shadow’s first foal crop sold at the Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale, a sale renowned for the racetrack success of its first season sire offerings.

Over 20 yearlings by Dane Shadow will be catalogued at next year’s Sydney Classic Yearling Sale (22-24 January 2012).

NIWOT ($200,000 2006 Easter, 7g Galileo-Too Darn Hot) booked his spot in Australia’s most famous race on the first Tuesday in November with a dominant victory in the G3 VRC The Lexus Stakes (2500m).

Today’s win guarantees Niwot a start in next Tuesday’s $6m G1 VRC Melbourne Cup. Offered for sale at Easter by Coolmore Stud, the son of Champion sire Galileo made it consecutive victories for the team at Hawkes Racing after taking out the race last year with Maluckyday.

It’s an achievement in itself for Niwot to be on the track after suffering what vets believed to be a career-ending knee injury which caused 18 months off the scene after the gelding won the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill in 2009. “If he wins on Tuesday it will be quite a story,” commented Wayne Hawkes.

Niwot is proven at the track and 3200m distance after his two length victory earlier this year in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes, a race named in honour of his part owner and former VRC Chairman Andrew Ramsden.

SISTER MADLY (P$775,000 2008 Easter, 5m Redoute’s Choice-Jade Tiara) continued her good form for the John Sadler stable withstanding all challengers in the G2 VRC Seppelt Salinger Stakes (1200m).

The half-sister to Hong Kong Champion sprinter Silent Witness is amassing a quality record of her own with today’s victory. This preparation the mare won first up in the G3 MRC How Now Stakes followed by second placings behind Sepoy in the G1 MVRC Manikato Stakes and More Joyous in the G2 MRC Tristarc Stakes.