Rod Symons looks to have a smart type on his hands after home-bred filly Kiata made a winning debut at Pakenham last Friday night.
The daughter of Kuroshio hails from a long-running Symons dam line — Kiata is out of a mare named Lascelles, whom the stable also raced and bred and was likewise a debut winner (at Bendigo) in 2011.
Despite impressing in a series of local jumpouts and drawing an inside barrier, the three-year-old was a significant drifter from $4.60 to $8. But she dictated from start to finish under Regan Bayliss for a 1½-length win.
“She’s had five jumpouts at Bendigo, won them all and never really been let go so it was good to see today what she might be able to do,” Symons told Racing.com after the race.
Symons explained Kiata’s owners had high hopes for the filly after a few setbacks.
“We entered her for the Bendigo VOBIS Gold Rush last year and she was first emergency,” he said.
“She didn’t get a run and then had a gallop the following week and cracked a tibia.”
Thanks to VOBIS bonuses, the filly’s connections picked up $27,650 for last Friday night’s win.
Bayliss will retain the ride if Kiata sneaks into Saturday’s $135,000 Selangor Turf Club Handicap (1100m) for three-year-olds at Caulfield. She is fourth emergency.
Kiata is the first foal from Lascelles to race. A two-year-old full sister is owned in similar interests.
The mare has a yearling filly by King of Prussia and was served by Reward For Effort last spring.
Diamond sparkles
The last two runners Kym Hann has saddled up at the races have both been Swan Hill winners, more recently Fontein Diamond, who broke out of maiden grade there on Monday.
The three-year-old Turffontein filly, having her fifth start, had blinkers applied for the first time and was well supported in betting, starting a $3 favourite.
Apprentice Will Price utilised his two-kilogram claim to lead and dictate the pace for a comfortable 2½-length win at his first ride on the filly, 17 days after she registered a fifth placing at Kyneton.
“She’s no world-beater but she has wins in her and the blinkers seem to have done the trick,” Hann told Racing.com.
Fontein Diamond was bred and is part-owned by Chris Morey and Terry Hurford. She has won $22,635 in prizemoney.
Hann’s previous Swan Hill maiden winner was Latenighttoughguy, who scored by 4¼ lengths on debut on March 20.
Hellova day
Bendigo hosted its Golden Mile raceday last Saturday and, while the usual crowd was absent, connections picked up more than $1 million on the nine-race program.
The listed $150,000 Golden Mile went the way of bold front-runner Hellova Street ($19), who was transferred to Patrick Payne for the race from the Tasmanian stable of Scott Brunton.
Michael Dee piloted the galloper, who beat Iconoclasm and Admiral’s Joker, before taking out the last race on short-priced favourite Big Night Out.
The other stakes race on the program, the listed $150,000 Bendigo Guineas, went to Riddle Me That from the Matt Laurie stable.
The Deep Field gelding now has four wins and four minor placings from 10 starts, with Saturday’s $90,000 first prize swelling his bank to $184,140.
The day’s richest race, the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush, went to a first-starter, Shamus Award filly Swats That, who came away for a comfortable 1¾-length win under John Allen for Leon and Troy Corstens.
Later the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable walked away with the Bendigo Gold Bracelet for mares courtesy of Snogging in the tightest of photos, thanks to a rails-hugging Michael Walker ride.
Saturday also saw the debut of the club’s new horse stall block. A video showcasing the development is available on the Bendigo Jockey Club Facebook page.