CENTURY MAKER LOVING LIFE IN NEWCASTLE

FROM the bush to the beach!

Apprentice William Stanley’s decision to up stumps and, with his wife Chelsea, move from Orange to Newcastle toward the end of last year, has paid off handsomely.

The 21-year-old, on the recommendation of dual Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown, joined leading trainer Kris Lees, and at his now home track yesterday brought up a career milestone.

Stanley’s first Newcastle double, scoring on locally-trained Impressionism ($6) and Lounerse ($4), lifted him to a century of winners.

The Lees prepared Impressionism foiled a confident betting plunge on another local, Nathan Doyle’s debutante Bohemian Art ($2.60 favorite), in the Provincial 3YO Maiden Handicap (1300m), and David Atkins’ Lounerse was gutsy in holding out Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan’s $3.60 favorite Strawberry Impact by a whisker in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m).

Impressionism, who races in the same colours as now retired triple Group 1 winner Le Romain, looked in trouble when challenged strongly after straightening and headed by the runner-up.

However, with the benefit of Stanley’s 3kg claim, he wouldn’t surrender and fought back to break through at his fourth start, and first this campaign after two country placings in November and December at his first racing preparation.

Whereas Stanley had the Churchill three-year-old away smartly and quickly found the fence to take up the running, his second winner never had the same fortune, but not through any fault of her rider.

 Lounerse began well, but was forced to race three wide without cover before moving up strongly on the home turn to join the two leaders.

She burst to the front in the straight and hung on grimly to just stall Strawberry Impact’s late surge.

An older half-sister to talented two-year-old Buffalo, Lounerse has now won five of her 15 starts.

Again, the young jockey’s 3kg claim proved decisive as his mount carried 3.5kg less than the runner-up.

Understandably, Stanley isn’t regretting his sea change.

“Very happy,” he said last night. “Loving being here in Newcastle.”

Stanley had his first provincial success on Scone mare Dances With Hooves at Newcastle on December 14 last year, and says he has ridden “about 20 winners” since making the move.

He clinched a city breakthrough in a heat of the Rising Star Series on $19 chance Opal Fields for Royal Randwick trainer John Thompson at a midweek Warwick Farm meeting on February 5, and is keen to also post his first Saturday winner in town.

“I’ve had three Saturday seconds (Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini’s Shall Be at Randwick on February 15 the latest), and would certainly like to win one,” Stanley said.

Born at Orange, the young jockey moved to Bathurst with his parents when he was 10 years of age.

A member of one of country racing’s best known families, Stanley began his career with his wife Chelsea’s mother Wanda Ings at Bathurst when he competed on the picnic circuit, and could not have hoped for a better start to his career.

Not only did he win at his first ride (for Ings on Dot The Eye at Bedgerabong picnics on February 13 2021), but also landed the Picnic Cup that day on Song One for trainer Bryan Dixon.

Stanley rode on the picnic circuit for 18 months before joining Orange trainer Alison Smith to compete in the professional ranks.

Whilst he initially transferred to Lees on a loan basis with Smith’s approval, that is now official and he is not due to come out of his time until October next year.

Stanley’s “stablemate”, fellow apprentice Ben Osmond won at Randwick yesterday on the Lees-trained Memoria ($13) to keep himself in the picture as one of three provincial riders with a chance of becoming Sydney’s champion apprentice this season.

Osmond had the mare quickly away and led throughout in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) for fillies and mares.

It was Osmond’s 15th city winner of the season, with Hawkesbury’s Zac Wadick on 19 and Wyong’s Anna Roper on 13.5. Molly Bourke, with 22 wins, is the current leader.

Paul Perry, along with Lees and Atkins, was the third Newcastle trainer to get a result at his home meeting yesterday.

Perry took the 3YO Midway Maiden Handicap (900m) with $4.20 chance Harlex, an Exceedance gelding who cost only $8000 at the 2023 Inglis HTBA yearling sale and was having only his second start and first since his debut last September.

Story John Curtis, April 27, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos