BATHURST trainer Kel Winnell may have discovered a handy addition to his stable after three-year-old filly Gunna Kaleid broke her maiden in eye-catching fashion at Bankstown on Thursday night.
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The daughter of Four Starzzz Shark out of Gunna Getsha was having her fourth career start and her first since July last year, her only previous placed effort coming on debut in Parkes.
She started from gate seven in the Three Year Old Ladyship Pace (1740 metres) and though it was a messy drive from Anthony Winnell which will cost him 10 days in the gig, it was an effective and smart one when the race was on the line.
Sitting snug on the pegs for most of the race behind leader International Girl ($6.80), Gunna Kaleid didn’t have to do a lot of work over the first 1200m of the race.
A couple of lazy quarters to open – 31.8 and 33.2 seconds respectively – set the tone for one of the front-runners to get the job done, and once they hit the back straight in the final lap Gunna Kaleid ($6.20) became the likely candidate.
Anthony Winnell hooked her wide as they approached the bend for the last time, presumably where his enforced rest was earned as Dah Little Striker ($7.90) was knocked off stride.
It was the decisive move though, and he took ground off the two runners in front of him immediately and settled into a battle over the last 200m with International Girl, catching her in the final couple of strides to win by a head.
Third and fourth quarters of 29.6s made for a mile-rate of 2:03.1.
Meanwhile, Bathurst will have a couple of representatives in tonight’s meeting at Menangle Park in the feature races, with Steve Turnbull looking to continue his golden recent run.
In the $25,000 Listed Menangle Where Horses Fly Final he starts consistent gelding Mattjestic Star who is coming off back-to-back seconds and a third and fourth prior, as well as Written In Red who was second when resuming in his heat.
Turnbull also has Cruisinonthe Big Ern lining up in the $25,000 Listed Country Series Final, the four-year-old having drawn gate one after winning first-up at Bathurst in the heat, his only start since arriving from New Zealand.
Fellow Bathurst trainer Mat Rue will be keen to make it three straight wins with his impressive six-year-old Franco Hemming- way, who has been superb in his last couple of outings.
Ashleigh Siejka and Turnbull will both be chasing glory in the $30,600 Group 3 Kevin Robinson Cup, one of the two Group races of the evening.
Siejka’s classy gelding Lochinver won at Group 3 level just four starts ago and backed it up with a victory to follow before a couple of mediocre efforts in his last two runs, though both were against good fields.
For Turnbull, Heza Thrill is coming off a win in the Oberon Cup two starts back and second in Goulburn at Group 3 level and has the form on the board to be a contender.