The winners keep flowing from Darren Weir’s Forest Lodge stables. He sent out 9 last week and Oxford Park stallion Gonski came to the party with a winning double.
Lindyhop (5m Gonski – Lindleywood Lass by Kenmare) broke through at Hamilton on Tuesday after placings at Ararat and Warrnambool in February. Only lightly-raced, she had been sidelined since Anzac Day last year.
Lindyhop is a homebred for Oskar Mustafa & Liz Fair and is from a daughter of G2 VRC Bloodhorse Breeders’ Plate winner Twirled. “It was great to get another win for Oskar & Liz,” Weir said. “They have been very patient with their horses since joining the stable.”
On Friday evening, Siwa Lady sprinted to a brilliant victory in the Essendon Mazda 55 Second Challenge (955m) at Moonee Valley.
SIWA LADY (5m Gonski – Siwa by Green Desert) clocked a sizzling 55.72 seconds but it wasn’t quick enough for Weir to win the keys to a Mazda. Anthony Freedman has one foot on the accelerator with only the final heat remaining after his mare Minaj was timed at 55.36 seconds on January 31.
Weir trains Siwa Lady for the Molloy and Mortensen families. She is from a British-bred half-sister to G2 Royal Ascot winner Flying Cloud (Storming Home) and the dam of Longchamp G1 winner Laverock (Octagonal).
Speedy filly Happy Princess weighed in with another winning result for Gonski in Singapore on Friday night.
HAPPY PRINCESS (3f Gonski – Burned by Red Ransom) scored a slashing three-length victory in the Initiation Stakes (1200m) when facing the starter for just the second time. “She was quite unlucky at her first run,” trainer Laurie Laxon declared. “But she’s really come on since then and won very well tonight.”
Not only does the Gonski filly race in the same colours as Laxon’s 2007 Singapore Gold Cup winner Recast, but she also hails from the same family. Gonski and Recast are both out of the Marauding mare Abonnement.
Studmaster Michael Howard stands Gonski (Danehill) for a $4,400 (inc gst) service fee at Oxford Park. The Bunyip stud is also home to Volitant (Flying Spur).