QUALITY rather than quantity!
That is Kristen Buchanan’s mandate after a run of outs came to an end at last Friday’s Muswellbrook Gold Cup meeting with a lightly-raced former South Australian mare.
“She broke my drought; God love her,” the Wyong trainer said of Annie’s Rose, who has now won in three States.
Ridden by Wyong’s star apprentice Anna Roper, $3.10 favorite Annie’s Rose at her 10th start (and third for her new stable) convincingly defeated Swamp Nation ($21) and Puerto Banus ($3.40) in the Wayne Harris Showcase Handicap (1280m).
It was Buchanan’s 15th winner this season – Roper’s 11th overall winner for her – and the first since another of her mares Invasive Dreams scored at Port Macquarie on January 24.
“All trainers go through droughts, but it’s never comfortable especially when it’s your own,” Buchanan said today.
“I have started cutting my numbers back, and will have a maximum 30 horses in work in the new financial year.
“I’ve decided it’s best to focus on quality instead of quantity.
“Whilst I don’t mind going to the country to try to win races, when you’re a provincial trainer you need to have provincial and city grade stock.”
Buchanan was thrilled to be given four-year-old Sepoy mare Annie’s Rose to train, courtesy of a connection with another of her horses, Provincial-Midway Championships contender Broadway Bouncer.
“Annie’s Rose has won in both South Australia and Victoria, and her owners (Bungan Street Thoroughbreds and S C G Racing) sent her to me looking for soft tracks,” she said.
“She is a lovely mare, and I’m sure will progress eventually to Midway grade in town.
“I’ll see how her benchmark rating is treated after this win, but I might be forced to run her in the city next.
“Otherwise we will look for a suitable Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap.”
At her first start for Buchanan, Annie’s Rose ran second to now Provincial-Midway Championships Finalist Money Team in a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m) at Hawkesbury on February 12.
A daughter of Golden Slipper winner Sepoy, Annie’s Rose is the fifth foal of the Rubiton mare Rue Maple, who won five races – four of them in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, Buchanan is yet to decide whether Broadway Bouncer will contest Thursday’s rescheduled Provincial-Midway Championships Wild Card (1350m) at her home track meeting.
The three placegetters will secure the final spots in the 15-horse field for the $1m PMC Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday week.
“I was hoping the Wild Card would be moved to Newcastle on Tuesday,” Buchanan said.
“He isn’t quite at home on tighter tracks, and hasn’t been placed in his two runs at Wyong.
“I’m not ruling out running him on Thursday. We’ll wait and see how the field shapes up later in the week.
“If he doesn’t run in the Wild Card, there is the option of going to Hawkesbury on Saturday for a Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m).”
Buchanan withdrew Invasive Dreams from the $150,000 Big Dance Eligibility Muswellbrook Cup (1500m) last Friday, even though the mare won first-up at the track in January, albeit in much weaker grade.
“The Cup came up a pretty strong race,” Buchanan said.
“I’ve got her in the Tamworth Cup Prelude (1400m) – a Benchmark 82 Handicap - on Tuesday.”
The Prelude winner automatically becomes exempt from ballot for the $200,000 Tamworth Cup (1400m) – which also carries Big Dance Eligibility - on April 24.
Story John Curtis, March 30, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos
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