Ceduna trainer Trevor "Bushy" Trenowden had a
perfect day at Port Lincoln today when both of his runners scored handsome wins.
Despite the horses having to travel about 400 kilometres late
yesterday the pair, led by classy mare Whistling Lass, were both too strong.
It was a welcome return to form for Whistling Lass, who had
been a shade disappointing this time in.
"I think with her being a year older it's taken a little
longer to get her right. We were confident going in today as her work at home had been the
best of the preparation," Trenowden said.
Before you even think about the Brondesbury mare having
carved up her home track in top gallops it must be told the mare had only been ridden once
in a serious fashion since her last race at Lincoln.
"She does a lot of her work at the beach. We tend not to
give her much work around the track," Trenowden said.
"It's probably not the ideal work for any horse but with
a lack of track riders due to our isolation there isn't much else that can be done. She
does tend to thrive on it though."
After jumping out of the barriers in great style the speedy
mare worked her way to the front and settled there before bursting clear at the top of the
straight. From that point the result was never in danger and despite being cuddled to the
line won by two and a quarter lengths in handy time.
The win by Whistling Lass came not long after the earlier
success of the promising young Wild Harmony filly Wilds of Virginia.
Part owned by Wally Tonkin, Wilds of Virginia was coming off
a strong last start Maiden win at Port Lincoln but was facing a stiff class rise up to
Class Two company today.
"After her last run down here I thought she would run
well but going straight to a Class Two I didn't think it would be ideal. But thankfully
she done everything right and won again," Trenowden said.
Trenowden picked up Wilds of Virginia late last year after
meeting with Tonkin, the man who bred, owned and raced Sydney Cup winner Streak.
"My son (Scott) and I went to Wally's property (at
Currency Creek) and looked at some horses and she was one of them."
"She'd had a couple of starts in the South East and
Western Victoria area as a two-year-old, but she had laminitis," Trenowden said.
So after plenty of patience the filly was not seen at the
races until she had fully recovered from her leg problems.
"Time was going to be the only thing to fix her. So she
was turned out in a paddock on the outskirts of Ceduna."
Not just any paddock. On one side was another paddock housing
a kangaroo, one with an emu and one that was roamed by a camel.
It's not your normal style of training for Wilds of Virginia,
a horse who's track work is supplemented by vehicular work!
"She does quite a lot of her work out the side of my old
Suzi. We work around the track and she works along while I've got hold of her when
driving," Trenowden added.
It was a dream result for Trenowden, a former dog catcher,
who has been training at Ceduna for about 30 years.
It was a vast change of luck for Trenowden at the green
surrounds of Port Lincoln today compared to the dust swamped Penong track on Saturday. At
the non-TAB meeting on Saturday Trenowden's five runners had no luck, with Desert Shade
being beaten in a photo finish.
What's next on the agenda for the two Ceduna stars?
"Well we might even look at a race in town (Adelaide)
for Wilds of Virginia, while we would probably restrict Whistling Lass to races over 1000
metres," Trenowden concluded.
PIC - Whistling Lass in one of her best wins last season
in quick time at Gawler. Courtesy of Atkins
Photography. |
