Party For One racing for three successive wins
Who would have thought Party For One would be racing for three successive wins when she started her campaign with the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr yard.
But after wins over 1400m at Flemington on May 13 and June 3, Party For One is back at Flemington on Saturday to contest the Bruce Gadsden Handicap (1400m) in search of a winning hat-trick.
Formerly prepared by Joe Pride in Sydney, Party For One arrived at Price and Kent Jnr’s stable with one win to her credit from 16 starts, a Kembla Grange maiden victory.
However, she did show promise at Stakes level, finishing in the placings twice at Group 3 level which gave her connections some heart.
Now after 20 starts, Party For One is a three-time winner.
Party For One has been ridden by Blake Shinn in her last two starts, the first time from barrier five then last time from gate 12.
The mare has a wide draw again on Saturday – barrier 13 – and Kent Jnr said it will be all up to Shinn.
“I was legging Blake Shinn up at Sandown yesterday (Wednesday) and he asked, ‘what barrier did we draw’,” Kent Jnr said.
“I just smiled, and he said ‘oh, don’t tell me’.
“Anyway, I told him it’s all up to him. We’ve got her going great again and she’s ticked over beautifully.
“She loves the Flemington 1400 (metres), and she has got the class to win, but as you do with all races, you need luck to go your way.”
Party For One’s two wins this campaign have been in benchmark 78 grade with Saturday’s race being a benchmark 90 grade, although in reality it is a benchmark 84 with the topweight Megamea the highest-rated galloper.
As such Party For One will carry 59.5kg on Saturday, 0.5kg less than her last start victory.
“She was an 83-rater in a benchmark 90, but there was a lack of depth above us, so they had to raise the weights,” Kent Jnr said.
“I think she’s well in again, given some of her performances back through her career. Hopefully she can put herself into a good tactical position again.”
Kent Jnr said the stable had not looked any further than Saturday with the mare.
“Maybe we could press on, or freshen for the spring, but we can work that out after Saturday,” he said.
More Racing News
Thrilling Scone Cup success for in-form Hellsing
Trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, Hellsing has entered excellent shape and notched his finest victory yet in the Listed $200,000 Arrowfield Scone Cup (1600m) held at Scone on Friday.On his 10th run in a preparation exceeding six months, Hellsing is thriving more than ever, building on a Royal Randwick...
Trainer Moloney sees ongoing enhancement in Hearcomesthestar
Improvement has marked every preparation, and John Moloney, the trainer, expects additional development from Hearcomesthestar in her upcoming appearance at Flemington.From 28 races, Hearcomesthestar has notched six wins and eight places, but Stakes grade has proven challenging for her.The approaching six-year-old earned a Listed placing at Geelong earlier this year,...
Searle family from SA chasing Melbourne Cup dream with Sir Kingsford
Gary and Nichole Searle, together with their daughter Brianna Callanan, form a South Australian training outfit with ambitions for Sir Kingsford in the Melbourne Cup.A victory in Saturday's Listed Andrew Ramsden (3200m) at Flemington earns the winner a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption ahead of the big November event.Nichole Searle sampled...
Scone's Luskin Star Stakes sees Estadio Mestalla with tough weight
Trainer Joe Pride questions the two-kilo advantage given to a Group 1 winner over Estadio Mestalla in the Luskin Star Stakes, but trusts the steady gelding to deliver full commitment.At seven years old, he notched his top triumph in the prior year's Listed Winter Stakes (1100m) and must shoulder 61kg...
Barrier 18 no hindrance to Sequista's Scone return
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou believe filly Sequista has the class for black-type success despite her tendency to undermine herself.Having notched stakes placings in the 2024 Inglis Nursery (1000m) and run near the placings in Tempted's Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m), the three-year-old targets another milestone in Saturday's Listed Denise's...
Flemington awaits Concord Connie's next bold move
Trainer Charlotte Littlefield hopes her talented filly Concord Connie can replicate her recent feat before entertaining grander aspirations.In her third race appearance at Flemington on Anzac Day, Concord Connie notched a breathtaking win by six lengths in sharp time.This Saturday, the filly heads back to Flemington to compete against the...
Dark Jewel Classic in sights for Harlem Queen
While Harlem Queen didn't sustain her early promise from age three, trainer Nathan Doyle feels confident after her trouble-free lead-up that she might restore reliable results.She returns Saturday in the Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) held at Scone, where despite preferring stamina tests ahead, barrier five positions her well for Doyle's...
Flemington run to decide Different Gravy's Queensland Derby chances
At Flemington, Different Gravy will put his Queensland Derby dreams to the test in upcoming action.Following a Listed triumph over 1800m at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last year, trainer Henry Dwyer fixed his focus on the northern Derby.The Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm scheduled for May...
Abounding's scratch lets Napoleonic into Doomben 10,000 lineup
Confirmation has arrived that Napoleonic will join the Doomben 10,000 field, following Abounding's removal which opened the door for the colt in the elite Group 1 dash.Team members experienced a stressful seven days after the three-year-old earned second emergency status for the $1.5 million event, as reserve Beadman claimed a...
Snowden's stable loaded with top sprinters for feature clashes
Boasting a stable full of high-caliber sprinters primed for black-type action, trainer Peter Snowden enjoys the luxury of picking and choosing among several prestigious races.Just a couple of weeks earlier, Zealously claimed victory in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m), followed by King Of Roseau and Beadman grabbing interstate stakes wins...