Kennedy steers Pushin' Shapes to win
Pushin’ Shapes gave WA’s famed Oakland Park Stud an exciting second string to its bow for the forthcoming Karrakatta Plate and WA Sires Stakes with an impressive debut win at Ascot today.
Jockey Alan Kennedy found himself in the hot seat with stewards for pushing out from his position on the fence into Amourio on the corner to gain a clear shot at the leaders in the 1000 dash.
The son of former top two-year-old Viscount stormed home to run to the line with 1 ¾ lengths up his sleeve over Amourio ($9 into $8) and the $2.10 hot shot Puteri Jewel, who fought out the minor money.
Trainer Daniel Pearce had scratched Pushin’ Shapes from an 1116m maiden, won by Military Reign, at Bunbury on Thursday.
Oakland Park’s proprietors Neville and Sue Duncan’s Saxophonist broke-through for a well deserved win with his first step-up to 1200m with a sweeping last-to-first win at Ascot last Saturday week.
The Saxon juvenile is bound for the $500,000 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) on March 28 and the $200,000 WA Sires Stakes (1400m) on April 11.
“He has ability but he is green,” Pearce said. “I told Neville in the morning that I’d be happy to see him running home strongly at the end.
“He only had the one trial and this was the third time he has been on the grass.
“He was up against horses who had more experience.
“He is still green and he will get better.
“He is doing very well at home and it is a good time to have a two-year-old firing.”
Pushin’ Shapes, from Smooth Mover, is a half-brother to Bombora. Smooth Mover is the grand-dam of Busimiss.
Budding apprentice Jordan Turner kicked home his first city winner in style when She’s A Virtue ($2.20) claimed her fifth straight Ascot win over 1200m in the Happy Chinese New Year Handicap.
Trainer Vaughn Sigley used Turner’s three kilo claim to reduce the four-year-old mare’s down to 55.5kg.
Turner was hot to trot landing his second city win and providing the young Pearce with a double, when he steered Travinator ($9) to break a 308-day drought in a thrilling finish between Du Printemps ($7.50) and Flytego ($2.80 fav) in the Westminister Handicap (1000m).
Travinator was regarded as one of WA’s top sprinters a few seasons ago, but he has undergone two operations to try to correct breathing problem.
Trainer Neville Parnham celebrated a race-to-race double with Snitzel three-year-old Binky Toy ($9) and Right Honourable ($16) in the fifth and sixth races.
Sheidel continued her brilliant winning streak landing her third straight win this campaign when sprinting away to a 3 ¼ length win in the National Property Handicap (1200m).
Punters flocked to the Holy Roman Empire three-year-old plunging her from $1.50 into $1.40 to bring home the hat-trick.
Three kilo claiming apprentices Emma Stent (Sheidel), Jordan Turner (She’s A Virtue and Travinator) and Jake Casey (Right Honourable) had big days on the card.
