Young hoop Lachlan Neindorf came of age when four-year-old mare Climbing Star delivered him his first Group 1 success in last Saturday’s Robert Sangster Stakes over 1200 metres at Morphettville.
It was far from plain sailing for Neindorf, with the mare nearly tumbling over as the starter released the field.
Neindorf said he’d wanted to be closer but, deciding to ride for luck, he was rewarded when a rails run presented Climbing Star ($26) with a clear passage to a narrow victory.
Trainer Phillip Stokes was delighted to see Climbing Star notch her third win from 14 starts. The mare had been prepared at Stokes’s Morphettville stables under the supervision of his son Tommy.
In a rough result for punters, Climbing Star defeated the Annabel Neasham-trained Learning To Fly ($10), with last-start R.N. Irwin Stakes winner Benedetta ($9) third for Jason Warren.
Sun too strong
Earlier, Mark Zahra brought up the second of a riding double when Vibrant Sun took out the Group 1 Australasian Oaks over 2000 metres.
Coming off a win at The Valley and trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent junior, Vibrant Sun ($6) showed her rivals a clean pair of heels, beating the Greg Hickman-trained Private Legacy ($18), with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Coco Sun ($8.50) finishing third.
All three placegetters are by rising star stallion The Autumn Sun.
Zahra scored the first leg of his double when $2.80 favourite Growing Empire gave favourite-backers a second win to start the day, taking the Group 3 Breeders’ Stakes over 1200 metres.
Prepared at Cranbourne by Ciaron Maher, Growing Empire came from one off the pace to make it two wins from three starts.
A pair for Patrick
Plumpton trainer Patrick Payne scored the first leg of a double when Bold Soul ($4.30) won the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m), running on from midfield to score under Jake Noonan.         
Three-year-old Winning Rupert filly Seonee ($6) gave Payne his second winner when she saluted in the Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes over 1600 metres. Billy Egan was the winning rider.
Extremely happy to be back
The training partnership of Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea appear to hold the key to smart five-year-old Extremely Lucky, who resumed with a victory in the Group 3 John Hawkes Stakes of 1100 metres.
The Extreme Choice gelding won on debut at Murray Bridge for local trainer Sam Burford before crossing to Clarken (then training solo) for six starts, yielding two wins including the listed SA Lightning Stakes of 2022.
After almost 11 months off, Extremely Lucky reappeared in the stable of Chris Waller, but failed to place in six starts for the training behemoth.
Back in the care of Clarken (now in partnership with O’Shea), the five-year-old swooped from worse than midfield under Jamie Kah for the narrowest of wins over Sans Doute, with favourite What You Need, Grey River and Sghirripa completing a blanket finish.
Extremely Lucky landed some decent bets, having been backed from $9.50 to $7 before starting at $8.
Aviatress aiming high
Three-year-old filly Aviatress got punters off to a good start at Morphettville when she scored in 0-68 company over 1100 metres as a $1.90 favourite under Jake Toeroek.
Co-trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly will give the Smart Missile filly her chance in Saturday week’s Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1100m).

Two for Todd
Todd Pannell took the riding honours at Murray Bridge on Wednesday with a running double in both divisions of the 1600-metre benchmark 56, winning on the Jarrod Lynch-trained Seafaring ($7) and the John Macmillan-trained Fox Gem ($3.60 favourite).