NEWS
Alverta makes grade, Theseo strikes again at Rosehill
Posted: Saturday, March 20, 2010 3:04 PM
by Mike Curry
Alverta did not make the cut in the sales ring and was uncooperative in the breeding shed, but the six-year-old Flying Spur mare made the grade at the track on Saturday with a victory in the Coolmore Tad Kennedy Stakes (Aus-G1) at Rosehill Gardens.
Trained by Paul Messara, Alverta powered to a dominant two-length win in the Tad Kennedy Stakes, completing 1,500 meters (7.46 furlongs) in 1:28.55 on turf rated as dead.
Alverta was retired after she placed in a Group 1 race in 2008, but she returned to the track after failing to get in foal. She entered 2010 without a group stakes win on her résumé, but took care of that with a win in the Breeders’ Classic (Aus-G2) in February.
Alverta, who did not meet her reserve on a final bid of $15,418 at the 2005 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale, achieved success at the highest level on Saturday and gave Messara another memorable victory.
"She was my first city winner, my first stakes winner, and now my first Group 1 winner," he told www.racingandsports.com.au. "She's a very special mare for us.
"She was retired and went to stud, but thank God she didn't get in foal or we would have missed out on today. She was a bit of an old tart in the barn, they had a bit of trouble with her.”
Gold Water edged Palacio De Cristal by a length for second.
Also on the card at Rosehill Gardens, Theseo controlled the pace and cruised to a repeat victory in the Ranvet/Rawson Stakes (Aus-G1).
The Danewin gelding was sidelined for ten months with a leg injury but proved he was back in top form when he nipped Rangirangdoo by a nose in the Patinack Farm Chipping Norton Stakes (Aus-G1) in his previous start on March 6 at Warwick Farm.
Also on Saturday, Theseo bagged his fifth Group 1 win and second straight in the Ranvet/Rawson with a three-quarter-length score over Rangirangdoo for trainer Gai Waterhouse. He completed 2,000 meters (9.94 furlongs) in 2:02.33.
"He is very special," Waterhouse told www.racingandsports.com.au. "He has a lovely action and does it at both ends of the race, he's just a very exciting horse."
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
