Kembla Grange trainer Mitchell Beer looks to have a promising type on his hands following the all-the-way win of three-year-old filly Sunrise in the benchmark 72 Midway Handicap (1100m) at Randwick last Saturday.
Similar tactics had been used on the filly at her previous start, in a 1000-metre Class 1 at Kembla Grange which she won by seven lengths, breaking the course record in the process.
Sunrise had gone into the Kembla race with one win — in a four-horse field at Tauheenikau (NZ) — from 12 starts but the victory was impressive enough to see her sent out a $1.80 favourite at Randwick.
The win has Beer considering starting the filly in the listed $200,000 Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone on May 17.
“Last preparation we knew how fast she was and how good she was but she just wasn’t physically or mentally ready,” he said.
“We might take her to Scone and see if she’s up to that level. If she can pick up some black type before she turns four that would be great.”
Jockey Rachel King was similarly impressed.
“Sunrise is very fast but it’s funny, she doesn’t feel like she’s going at a silly speed because she has such a naturally big stride. They’ve done a good job to teach her to race sensibly.
“I gave her a squeeze early and she came back underneath me and gave a good kick in the straight.”
Let-up pays off
Saturday’s Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap (1000m) saw the Matthew Dale-trained Massira break through for a well deserved win after having three straight seconds.
Ridden by apprentice Braith Nock, the $3.90 favourite settled just off the pace before finishing strongly to reel in Pareto, who had attempted to lead all the way. Massira won drawing away by a half-length with Joiselle a further neck away in third place.
“He’s had a really good prep,” Dale said.
“After his solid runs earlier in the prep, we decided to give him a little let-up and set him towards the winter racing, Highways and benchmark racing.
“He handles the sting out of the track and is that sort of off-season style metro horse, so it’s all worked well.”
Lees lauds ‘genuine’ mare
The 1200-metre benchmark 78 for fillies and mares at Randwick saw three-kilo claiming apprentice Ben Osmond adopt the same tactics as Rachel King had earlier, sending the Kris Lees-trained Memoria ($13) straight to the front.
From that point the mare never looked in danger of defeat, sprinting home to win by three-quarters of a length from Pajanti with a similar margin to third-placed Elba.
“Memoria’s a tough, genuine mare,” Lees said.
“She always gives her all. I’d like a few more like her in the stable but we’ll just try to keep placing her in the right races where she can be competitive. There’s no need to rush her to open company,” Lees said.
As for Osmond’s ride, he added: “Benjamin is a bit like Memoria. He’s a good rider who just gets the job done with a minimum of fuss.”
Two to follow
The same afternoon at Newcastle, the Paul Perry-trained local Harlex ($4.20) showed plenty of pace under Keagan Latham in winning the 900-metre three-year-old maiden handicap by 3¾ lengths.
Given that it was just the three-year-old’s second start and his first after a spell, he should take improvement out of the run and may pay to follow.
It also may pay to follow the winner of the 1250-metre maiden for two-year-olds, the Peter Snowden-trained Snitzel colt Beadman.
Like Harlex, this youngster was having just his second race start. Sent to the barriers a $1.35 favourite, he recorded a comfortable two-length win under Mitchell Bell.  
Houdini impresses
Central Coast-based trainers Greg McFarlane and Sara Ryan were among the winners the previous afternoon at the Randwick’s Anzac Day meeting on the Kensington track.
The McFarlane-trained The Great Houdini ($6.50) was impressive in winning the 1250 metre benchmark 72 by 2¾ lengths with apprentice Anna Roper in the saddle.
A race later, in the 1400-metre benchmark 64, the Ryan trained Piperita ($4), ridden by Ashley Morgan, got home by a half-head from the favourite, Pelosa.
Auzstar shines
Last Saturday the weather once again played havoc across the state, with meetings at Grafton, Cootamundra and Leeton abandoned.
The sole survivor was Merriwa, where Port Macquarie trainer Marc Quinn picked up the Merriwa Cup (1350m) with Auzstar ($5), ridden by apprentice Liam Blanch.
Weekend starts at Wagga
As is traditional in Warrnambool week, this Friday sees the Murrumbidgee Turf Club stage its feature race of the year, the $200,000 listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m), an eligibility race for spring’s Big Dance.
The main supporting races will be the $80,000 MTC Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds and the $75.000 Queen of the South (1400m) for fillies and mares.
The following day, Hawkesbury takes centre stage with a metro-class program headed by three Group 3 races, each worth $250,000 — the Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m), the Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) for three-year-olds and the Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) for fillies and mares — as well as the listed Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m).
Saturday is also cup day at Binnaway in the central west, with the feature over 1300 metres, and at the Boorowa picnics in the Hilltops region, where the cup is over 1700 metres  and the Boorowa Picnic Sprint over 1200.