Reward For Effort and Canniness

     Midweek racing this week came from Ballarat and Canterbury with a heavy track at the former. Australian racing is strongly influenced by the Fastnet Rock or Encosta De Lago blood or as i reference a bit later in this post. The Canny Lad influence as well ! While Exceed and Excel has his day in the sun at times with his sons Helmet and Reward For Effort who both get regular winners, like the Dubai World Cup winner, Thunder Snow by Helmet . It was the later of his sons who opened and closed the Ballarat meeting on Wednesday. 

• Reward For Effort  -- book ends the meeting at Ballarat as his four year old son, Pakaya Prince finished the meeting with a win for Chatswood Stud and the John McArdle and Lachie King combination. He is out of the Galileo mare, Vonnie. The opener was won by My Boy Greg with jockey Damien Oliver in the saddle for an emotional trainer, Janet Wicks to record her first winner.

"I'm just so over the moon, it was such a good ride."
We love seeing the reward for effort for an emotional Janet Wicks. pic.twitter.com/FZCQefKuch

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 23, 2018

• Sepoy --  His daughter is a rising star. Anjana relished the heavy conditions after settling midfield on the inside before taking the lead in the straight, under easy riding by jockey, Ben Allen and then with an explosive turn of foot stormed clear to win the 2YO Fillies 1200m event at Ballarat. Jockey Ben Allen, said "I think she's pretty nice because there's a few horses in there that have run in some handy races and performed well." Just wanted to point out the Canny connection on the Sepoy dams side. Almost all of the top Australian stallions have the Canny family line. I Am Invincible, the half brothers Redoutes Choice and Manhattan Rain through Canny Lad's blue hen daughter, Shanthas Choice. Then there is Snitzel, Australias new champion sire who is the son of Redoutes Choice. Sepoy has the connection through, the lads ,half sister, Canny Miss. Canny Lad was a champion two and three year old and his greatest run was his third, in the 1990 Cox Plate when over the 2000m, he sat wide and was left a sitting duck for Better Loosen Up. Canny Lad was buried next to his old mate Octagonal at Woodlands Stud. The Canny's have left their DNA on Australian racing and its going to last for a long time.  

Sepoy 

Stands at Darleys Northwood Stud 

• Pedicel -- A Redoutes Choice 2yo filly purchased by the Coolmore operation for $360,000 scored at Canterbury for Lindsay Park Racing and James Macdonald when she had to dig deep to out last Reginae down the straight.The in form James Macdonald said "She's a lovely filly and will be even better as she matures and gets out to a mile,". She could be one to watch in the future.

Pedicel & @mcacajamez fight it out with Reginae down the straight, kicking back in the concluding stages to salute impressively at Canterbury for @lindsayparkrace. pic.twitter.com/zqlyjW1oTu

— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 23, 2018

• Augustus and The Avenger -- Some other Canterbury winners were the Waller trained, Snitzel ,3yo Augustus who put in a courageous effort, to win by a breath over Base Camp . A well judged ride by Tye Angland saw him get home . While in the last we saw another Chris Waller trained galloper successful when The Avenger kept Smart Missile's great recent success story in tact ! The Fastnet Rock stallion is still one of the best value stallions around. He was ridden by Lee Magorian and is out of the El Prado mare, Certain Promise. 

• Miss Leonidas -- The I Am Invincible 3yo filly and her jockey, Dwayne Dunn took inside lanes after the rising star missed the kick by four lengths in the A.R. Creswick Series Heat 1 to secure an easy victory. She is out of the Barathea mare, Happy Play. That Sadlers Wells line love the wet. Trainer Shaun Dwyer was thrilled with the win ! It gave Dwayne ride of the day award.

Miss Leonidas and @dwaynedunn8 were breathtaking. An easy pick for #RideOfTheDay. pic.twitter.com/EPJdzEsMUf

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 23, 2018