News

Classy Nominations For Scone Cup Day

11th May 2009

Racing NSW - Grahame Timbrell - Monday, 11 May 2009

Surround Stakes winner Portillo heads a class field of nominations for the Listed $110,000 Inglis HTBA Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone on Friday (15th May).

The filly is one of four horses trainer Peter Snowden, who started his training career in the town, has nominated for the meeting.

Snowden has also nominated Rio Osa for the Dark Jewel, while Spinney, which will be having his second start from a spell, is nominated for the Listed $110,000 Emirates Park Scone Cup (1600m). His fourth nominations is Latigo, first-up from a spell in the Yalumba Rating 62 (1100m).

Scone Racing Club officials were delighted with the 222 nominations received for the meeting: "If it is not a record it is close to it," cub secretary, Helen Sinclair, said.

"We could not be happier with the response we have received from city, provincial and country trainers."

The lightly-raced Portillo, a three-year-old, has won more than $600,000 in prizemoney from three wins; all at Group or Listed level. Her first win was in the Listed-Gimcrack Stakes at Royal Randwick in March last year before winning the Group 2-Magic Night Stakes and then running third in last year's Golden Slipper.

She did not get back into the winner's circle again until March this year when she won the Surround Stakes at Randwick.

There are 22 horses nominated for the Dark Jewel including Mary's Grace, winner of the Darley Crown at Hawkesbury last month, and Lady Game, which flew home for a narrow second to her.

City trainers are well represented in the Dark Jewel with David Payne nominating Hairy while Jason Coyle is represented by Danehill Smile, John O'Shea by Espurante, Greg Hickman by Flying Tryst, Gary Portelli (Helluva Party), Gerald Ryan (Intuit), Toby Edmonds (Limani) and Grahame Begg (Purrpurrlena).

Soiled, a winner at the Hawkesbury meeting last Saturday, has been nominated by Jason Coyle for the cup.

An interesting nominations for the cup is Rags To Riches, trained at Eagle Farm by Liam Birchley. He won the Listed-Recognition Stakes at Eagle Farm last November before coming south to run third in the Villiers at Randwick.

Glyn Schofield, sitting third in the Sydney jockeys' premiership, has already been confirmed as the rider of Hewentwoosh in the Inglis Challenge for two-year-olds.

Some 19 juveniles, all bought at last year's Inglis Yearling Sale at Scone, have been nominated for the $100,000 Inglis Challenge.