By John Schell
Trainer Clint Lundholm will be in action at Tuesday’s Dubbo race meeting, with a strong representation set to give a good account for the stable.
Lundholm has seven runners set to contest five events, starting with Pyromania in the Barastoc Summer Sprint Series – Round 1 Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m).
Clint Lundholm.Credit: Getty
Two-kilogram claiming apprentice Zoe Hunt will take the ride on Pyromania, which races in the colours of Darby Racing, which tasted success with Sandpaper at Wyong on Saturday and went close to winning The Lakes when Robusto ran second.
“Pyromania is a consistent horse that has been placed in 11 of his 20 starts with three wins included in that,” said Lundholm. “He’s resuming from a spell on Tuesday and is a first-up winner, so I’m expecting him to run well.”
The lightly raced Written By Choice will run in the Barastoc Furlong Country Boosted Maiden Handicap (1400m) with Nick Heywood in the saddle.
Written By Choice has only had four starts but has finished second in two of them at his latest two starts at Dubbo and Gilgandra.
“He’s hit the line well in each of his latest two starts and if he can run up to those efforts, then he should take plenty of holding out,” Lundholm said.
Hunt is set to combine with Wotastatement when the four-year-old mare runs in the Dubbo City & Gilgandra Toyota F&M Maiden Plate (1200m).
Wotastatement has been placed in two of her six starts and hasn’t been far away in her beaten unplaced efforts.
Beauty Edge (Hunt) and South Bullaway (Jack Baker) are the two Lundholm runners in the Inland Petroleum Class 1 Handicap – Heat Of The Rising Star (1200m), while the trainer had Keadool (Hunt) and Notabadchassis (Jean Van Overmeire) in the Barastoc Stablemate Class 1 Handicap (1000m).
“Wotastatement has shown a bit of ability, and she looks well placed,” said Lundholm. “Beauty Edge won well at Dubbo two starts ago and if he can repeat that he should be hard to beat again.
“And Keadool won well on debut at Dubbo and has the talent to run well again if he can run up to that.”
Tributes for Newcastle trainer Porter
Craig Kerry
Long-time Newcastle trainer Charlie Porter was farewelled on Monday at a service in Glendale after his death on January 4 at the age of 89.
Porter took up training in the early 1970s after moving to Glebe Road in Adamstown from his home region of Cowra at the age of 34.
The property had two stables, which he expanded to 16, and he had his first runner in 1974. His last winner was Mr Polar on November 21, 2023 at Newcastle. Mr Polar was also his last starter, when fifth at Gosford the following month.
Porter had several handy horses, including Wimbledon, Quirindi Cup winner Palazam, Elroy, Lamarna, Noble Ambition, Mon Del Arl and Framoli, which won the 1987 Scone Cup.
Australia record-holding jockey Robert Thompson rode the most winners for Porter, including four on one program at Port Macquarie in May 1986.
Lady Shenandoah eyes up Randwick
Craig Kerry
The clash of Lady Shenandoah and Manaal will be a highlight of trials at Randwick on Tuesday as some of the top autumn prospects return to the track.
Chris Waller-trained Lady Shenandoah, which finished her last preparation with wins in the group 3 Ming Dynasty and group 1 Flight Stakes, is down to trial in the fifth.
Michael Freedman-prepared Manaal is in the same trial and is back after victory in the group 2 Furious Stakes and thirds in the Silver Shadow and Tea Rose Stakes.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s Mayfair, stakes placed three times last preparation, is also in that trial.
Missile Stakes winner Schwarz, from the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, is scheduled to trial for a second time, in the second heat. Others to watch include Kindergarten Stakes winner Espionage in trial six and Gimcrack Stakes victor Bel Merci in the ninth.
