Sunrise ready to shine in 2025 The Warra

Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter hope to give the locals something to cheer about when their speedy mare Sunrise contests The Warra at Kembla Grange.

This year’s $1 million Gong (1600m) does not feature a single home-trained runner, and with Cani Cancan rated a $151 chance in The Warra (1000m), Sunrise — the $5 second favourite — stands as the Illawarra region’s most credible hope of a marquee success.

Beer, previously based at Albury, moved to Kembla two years ago, while Carpenter officially joined him as a partner earlier this spring.

“Kembla has fast become home. It’s terrific,” Beer said.

“We’ve got a pretty big day socially (on Saturday). We have about 300 people in our marquee on-course, so as new as we are to Wollongong and the club, it feels like our big day pretty quickly.

“This meeting is quite new, the club is new in terms of the CEO and track manager. We all arrived around the same time and it’s great to be involved and aligned with a club trying new things and not just resting on good horses turning up for the Gong.”

Originally racing in New Zealand, Sunrise was spotted as a prospect by two stable staff members before being purchased for $45,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

She has since registered three wins, most notably a commanding 7-1/4 length victory over the The Warra distance earlier this year, stopping the clock at a track record 55.58 seconds.

“We’re a stable that loves getting hold of tried horses,” Beer said.

“Her form in New Zealand was good, and I thought if she could take good physical improvement, she would stack up OK.

“It would be nice to be taking her back through that sale in a couple of years as a stakes winner.”

Her manners required plenty of work early in the preparation, and setbacks such as a virus and a colic episode added difficulty, but the team always had Saturday’s race in their sights after her fifth in the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) in May.

“For us, she is a track record holder here at Kembla over 1000 so it’s a perfect race for us to really target and she couldn’t be going into the race in any better form,” he said.

With Mnemeth retired from racing earlier this year, Sunrise now has the chance to assume the mantle as the stable’s next standout performer.

“Someone has bloody got to. He carried the stable for a long time,” Beer said.

“I think she can go to that level. She’s not a week-in, week-out Group horse, but she is a genuine Saturday class to Listed mare, and she has really found her right race.”