Country NSW: Patience pays as Stephan stars
By Tim Egan, December 9, 2019 - 10:58 AM

Years of patience and a strong belief in the ability of his galloper Stephan paid off for Canberra trainer Gratz Vella when the seven-year-old scored his second consecutive metropolitan win in last Saturday’s 1100-metre benchmark 88 at Rosehill. 
After a quick start from barrier two, jockey Brenton Avdulla was able to settle the gelding in a perfect position just off the pace. 
Well into the straight, $2.90 favourite Invictus Salute was fighting for the lead with Junglized, while Avdulla was looking for an opening on Stephan. 
When the favourite shifted ground under pressure, Avdulla was able to drive Stephan ($7.50) through the gap to win drawing clear by a half-length from Invictus Salute, with Taniko in third spot. 
After the win, Vella recalled the numerous problems Stephan has had to overcome. 
“He’s had an eye problem. We found him in the paddock one day with a stick stuck in his chest. He reared over backwards and broke his wither. Then he had to have 12 months off because he did his fetlock. 
“He’s been in the wars. It got to a stage when the owner said, ‘No way,’ but I just kept saying to her, ‘We’ve got to bring him back.’ 
“He’s been a problem horse all his life — he was a bit of a buckjumper — but he’s giving us our rewards now for sure. 
“I was a bit worried when he raced a bit close, but Brenton must have known what he was doing.” 
Avdulla confirmed that he had been confident throughout.
“He travelled at a moderate gallop and gave me a really good ride. He was always going to give himself the best chance of winning and when the split came he was good enough to take it. 
“Gratz has obviously done a great job with him and he’s in winning form. He’s obviously a handy galloper.” 
As for the future, Vella was a little uncertain. 
“I don’t know what’s next for him because it gets a bit harder but we’ll find something for him.” 
Stephan, a seven-year-old, has now won seven of his 17 starts, earning $316,205.
Din swoops in 
Queanbeyan galloper Acquittal set a breakneck pace in Saturday’s 1800-metre Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill, racing to a huge lead that saw the field spread out over some 30 lengths approaching the 600-metre mark. 
It was a pace that the five-year-old couldn’t sustain and with 300 metres still to go the leader’s run was over and the swoopers descended. 
Among those was the Keith Dryden-trained $3.90 favourite, Gunga Din. The Canberra galloper drove to the lead with 200 metres to run and quickly put paid to his rivals, racing away to win by four lengths from Rostam with Just In The Clear third. 
“He seemed to really appreciate the strong tempo and it was a very good win,” winning jockey Nash Rawiller said. 
“I think he’s a horse who’s still learning. He’s very gangly. He got to the front and got a bit lost but you saw what he did to them. I think he has a promising future.”
Louis Mihalyka, founder of the Laurel Oak syndicate that races Gunga Din, praised Dryden’s planning.
“Keith set Gunga Din for this race and it just worked out brilliantly,” he said. 
“When the pace was on we knew that would suit us. We drew a bit wide but Nash was patient.” 
Gunga Din’s win made the horse ineligible for TAB Highways, but Mihalyka still sees a bright future for the four-year-old. 
“He’s won this with 59 kilos. He’s now midweek company. He might even be a Canberra Cup horse … country cups, midweekers or off-season middle-distance races.”
Bobby dazzles 
Hunter Valley apprentice Samantha Clenton continued her remarkable comeback when she rode the Bjorn Baker-trained Bobby Dee to victory in the 1500-metre benchmark 72 at Rosehill. 
The win brought Clenton’s tally for the season to 32. 
After making early use of her mount to cross and lead from an outside barrier, Clenton eased off to settle second behind Silent Explorer. 
At the 150-metre mark, Bobby Dee ranged up to challenge and the pair settled down to fight out the finish, with Bobby Dee doing a shade the better to win by a long head. 
“I definitely can’t complain about how things are going at the moment,” said Clenton, who spent nearly three years on the sidelines after suffering a spinal injury in 2016. 
“I’m riding with confidence now and in a good place mentally. When you have a good team behind you it helps you get in the right mind frame. That’s where I am at the moment.” 
The first two home were the rank outsiders of the field, both starting at $31, and even Baker admitted to being somewhat surprised by the result. 
“I wasn’t confident today. I thought he’d be better over a trip, but he was very game with the big weight,” he said. 
“He’ll definitely get better over more ground,” Clenton agreed. “Full credit it to him because we had to work hard to cross. He quickened nicely and was too strong late.”  
Cups wrap-up … 
There was a thrilling finish to the $75,000 Mudgee Cup (1600m) last Friday, with the Jeff Englebrecht-trained Hammond Lane ($12) scoring by a half-head under Grant Buckley from Hiroken ($41). 
Saturday’s 1600-metre Cooma Cup went to the Todd Smart-trained Great Glen, ridden by apprentice Damon Budler. 
At Hawkesbury on Sunday, Rachel King took the riding honours with a winning treble, while Samantha Clenton added yet another winner to her tally.
… and coming up 
There’s a change of pace at provincial Gosford this Saturday with a picnic meeting highlighted by the 1600-metre Gosford Picnic Cup.
At Moulamein on the same day, the Moulamein Cup will be contested over the same trip.

 

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