News

Locally trained Ulundi salutes in Lord Stakes

27th Dec 2011

Mornington trainer Pat Carey made the most of the newly relocated Listed MRC Swettenham Stud Lord Stakes (1600m), producing four-year-old Ulundi to score in the $100,000 feature at his home track over La Rocket and Our Spirits Bay.

Positioned midfield by former Perth apprentice jockey Damian Lane Ulundi kept up his perfect strike rate at Mornington by saving ground along the fence in the run, before dashing away between runners in the straight to give Carey his first stakes winner this season.

Ulundi ($70,000 2009 Premier, 4g Helenus-Willow) was placed at Group 3 level in November at Sandown, but today was his first win at stakes level.

“It’s really nice to win a big race with this horse because he’s had a few cracks at good races and run encouragingly,” Carey told TVN after the win.

Carey had purchased Ulundi (pictured as yearling) from the draft of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $70,000, and today’s win takes the gallopers earnings to $180,000.

Traditionally run at Caulfield on Boxing Day the Lord Stakes this year found a new home at Mornington on December 27 as part of the merger between the Melbourne and Mornington Race Club. To read about top galloper Lord, whom the race is named after click HERE.

Melbourne Racing Club will again host the $250,000 Inglis Premier on Mornington Cup Day next February 15.

Restricted to two-year-olds nominated to the Inglis Race Series which were offered at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, the Inglis Premier run over 1200m at the spacious Mornington track provides trainers with a great lead in to the $1million Group 1 MRC Blue Diamond Stakes run at Caulfield 10 days later.

The 2011 Inglis Premier was won by the Lee Freedman trained Masthead, who placed in the Blue Diamond at his next start.

The next Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, the source of Ulundi, Masthead, undefeated Australian Horse of the Year Black Caviar and South African Horse of the Year Igugu, will be held over four days from February 27 to March 1 in 2012.