COMEBACK mare Denetta resumes at home tomorrow on a path to another Provincial-Midway Championships campaign two years apart.
The six-year-old daughter of Denman hasn’t raced since finishing fourth in a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on July 1 last year, and returns in the Malcolm Cusick Stakes (a 1200m Class 4 Handicap) at the feature Gosford meeting transferred to Wyong.
Denetta ran a close second to Phearson in a 1400m Qualifier of last year’s PMC series before finishing 12th to Spangler on a heavy track in the $1m Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick five weeks later.
“Unfortunately Denetta suffered a tendon injury and has been given a long rehabilitation,” trainer Damien Lane said this morning.
“Her owners have a property in the mountains from Wyong, and she has come back in really good order.
“Denetta is lightly-framed and is ready to go to the races after only one trial.
“She has been placed at three of her four first-up runs, and no doubt will take improvement from her comeback run given she has been off the scene for 18 months.
“All going well, we will definitely have another crack at the Provincial-Midway Championships.”
Denetta, who has raced only 16 times for three wins and five placings, will be ridden by Lane’s apprentice Anna Roper, who has had her own injury woes and put that behind her with a Randwick winner on Boxing Day and a maiden four-timer at the Gosford provincial meeting held at Port Macquarie yesterday.
Two of them were for Lane, who today recalled that his apprentice had ridden a city treble (on Zouatica, Bethencourt and Memoria) at another transferred meeting (Australian Turf Club to Gosford) on April 10 this year.
Roper also partners another Lane resumer, Jamakin Money in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m) at Wyong.
Jamakin Money, who won a Super Maiden over the same distance on her home track on March 30, has raced only five times and hasn’t started since May 14 when a close fourth over 1100m at Hawkesbury.
“She is a nice mare, and trialled really well when she won an 800m Open heat at Hawkesbury on December 16,” Lane said.
He had also hoped to start Singing Star (Roper) in the $200,000 Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m), but is almost resigned to missing the race with her.
“Singing Star wasn't 100 per cent this morning, and I doubt she will be able to run,” Lane said.
“It’s a shame because the rail is out 3m, and she is a leader and had an opportunity to get some black type in a small field.”
Singing Star, a Star Turn three-year-old who cost only $7000 at last year’s Inglis HTBA sale in Sydney, has won twice and was one of four purchases Lane made at that sale.
Another was now Cosmic Force three-year-old and “family horse” Turf Fever, who scored on debut at Port Macquarie yesterday.
“He was the dearest at $44,000 of the four I bought, but I felt he was a standout,” Lane said.
“We got him ready for the Inglis Ready2Race sale last September but kept him when he didn’t reach the reserve."
He was a bit thick in the tendons and didn’t pass their stringent vet test, but there’s nothing wrong with him.
“Turf Fever still has a bit to learn, and we haven’t rushed him.”
Lane considers his other Port Macquarie winner Sneaky Sofia, an $80,000 Magic Millions purchase last year, has the ability to measure up in town.
The three-year-old daughter of Merchant Navy has raced only seven times for two wins and three placings (one of them when narrowly beaten in the $200,000 Wellington Boot, 1100m in April).
Story John Curtis, December 30, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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