Sport
10 March, 2025
Stewart is off to a bright start with successive wins
Western Racing Report - Bathurst, Monday, March 3
The recently launched career as a trainer for Angus Stewart is off to a bright start with successive wins by Lunar Flirt, at Orange and Bathurst.
Lunar Flirt won a 1600 metres Maiden Plate at Orange and the Bathurst based Angus Stewart showed good judgement when stepping the four year old grey mare up to 1800 metres at Bathurst on Monday for the Bathurst RSL Club Class One and Maiden Plate.
After leading until halfway down the back straight, Lunar Flirt was eased to take a trail behind Goodnight Barlow which had sprinted around the field. Well ridden by in form apprentice Mitch Stapleford, Lunar Flirt ($11) regained the lead in the home straight and won by a half neck from Stock Road (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $3.60) and Goodnight Barlow (Brodie Loy, $3.30 to $2.70 favourite).
Angus Stewart came close to achieving a double when Tommy’s Girl finished a close second in the 1400 metres Class One Handicap.
The strongly supported Forbidden Riff($2.50 to $1.90 favourite) shared the lead with Tigers Roar turning for home however, over the closing stages the Nick Olive, Queanbeyan trained Midnight Affair (Coriah Keatings, $10) hit the front and lasted to win by a half length from Tommy’s Girl (Mitch Stapleford, $5) which came from last, with Tigers Roar (Jake Pracey-Holmes, 6.50) in third place.
Placed six times from the first seven starts, the Scott Collings, Goulburn trained Ischyros broke through in emphatic fashion when a runaway winner of the 1100 metres Country Boosted Maiden Plate.
Leading for home, Ischyros (Mathew Cahill, $1.95 to $1.60 favourite) cleared out to score by four lengths from Son Of Eureka (Nick Heywood, $3.20) and Malinga Missile (Brodie Loy, $5.50).
From the powerful Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable, three-year-old filly Needing Attention (Olivia Dalton, $2.20 to $1.89 favourite) made it four wins from seven starts when leading throughout to beat Mooshaka (Kody Nestor, $15) and Missile Maiden (Jean Van Overmeire, $6) in the 1300 metres Benchmark 66 Handicap.
Other winners were the Neasham and Archibald trained Cosmic Treasure (Brodie Loy, $1.95 fav.), Angels Cry (Olivia Chambers, $10), trained by Gary Portelli) and So Magnificent (Brodie Loy, $1.95 to $1.70 favourite) trained by Todd Smart.
