LOCALLY based trainer Cindy Brander achieved an emotional victory after Grande Terre made a winning debut in the Troy Blagus Electrical Maiden Plate on the second day of the bet365 Mildura Cup Carnival at Sandilong Park on Saturday.
There were emotional scenes after the impressive victory with Brander’s family and friends after the tragic passing of her brother last week.
“It has been a tough time, but the win certainly came at a good time to give us all a bit of a lift,” Brander said.
It was a top training performance by the Brander stable to have Grande Terre open his winning account by a comfortable 2.25-length margin at his first race.
“We weren’t sure how he would go and he didn’t do a lot right, but it was good to get the win and he did it on raw ability,” Brander said.
“I always felt he had ability and he proved it with the win.”
Grande Terre was bred by Brander and husband Wayne. The three-year-old is a half-brother to their race winners Bon Hombre and Bull Sluice.
“We lost our brood mare and their mother, Caballo Grande, to colic at stud a couple of months ago which was very disappointing,” Brander said.
Grande Terre had two trials and two jump outs in South Australia in preparation for making his racetrack debut on Saturday.
“It is really difficult to have to go to South Australia to trial (at Murray Bridge and Morphettville). Stacey (Metcalfe, SA apprentice jockey) treated his last trial like a race to give him a good education and he won the trial and was then ready to go to the races,” Brander said.
“He was broken in at Leneva Park (in Longwood East) near Shepparton and they did a terrific job and gave him two preparations before he came back to us,” Brander said.
Grande Terre is owned by the Branders who gave a share in the youngster to Ross Bastin, Di Metcalfe, Antwinette Mackintosh, Carmen Gibson, Rosie Paver and Kylie Breeze.
“They have been very good supporters of our stable and it is great to have them involved and all of us were very excited with the win,” Brander said.
The win capped off a successful Cup Carnival for jockey Steven Vella who rode Grande Terre to a smart win as well as taking out the feature event of the carnival in the $100,000 bet365 Mildura Cup with Harmonious Senora which is trained by his wife Kylie.
“We are so grateful to Kylie and Steven (Vella) who have helped us out over the past couple of weeks and it has been good to learn from them and they are so generous with their time,” Brander said.
The Tassie Pegus Award for the leading jockey over the two-day Cup Carnival was won by Neil Farley who achieved two wins and four second placings including winning the opening event on Saturday with Star Of Beirut. That was his racetrack debut for Ballarat trainer Henry Dwyer.
The South Australian training partnership of Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor of Angaston enjoyed a successful carnival by winning with Shootoose on Friday and followed up the following day to win with Territorian.
Territorian had been placed in four of his previous eight outings, so he was deserving of bring up his first race win.
The three-year-old was entered to race on both days, but the stable pulled the right rein in electing to bypass the meeting on Friday and save him for the Mildura Rural City Council Maiden on Saturday.
The track raced perfectly over the two days of the carnival as horses could come from any part of the track to win. It has been a rare meeting in Victoria over recent weeks to have raced on a good-rated surface.
The next bet365 Mildura race meeting will be held on Saturday, August 9.
