MONDAY: December 16, 2024: STABLE favorite Lady Shenanigans broke through for his first win on a good track at home yesterday – but it was no surprise to his trainers.
Lady Shenanigans victory at $6 in the Godolphin Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m) rounded off an excellent day for Hawkesbury trainers, with Darryll Kell and Brad Widdup also scoring earlier with Mahogany Girl and Hyperbolic respectively.
Mahogany Girl ($6.50) continued a great comeback under Kell’s care in the Baygreen Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m), whilst lightly-raced three-year-old Hyperbolic ($3.20) made it two on end in the Australian Horse Arenas Class 1 Handicap (1400m).
It’s no wonder Lady Shenanigans is the apple of Mitch and Desiree Kearney’s eye.
A $300,000 yearling purchase, the Kearneys bought him online for $1750 before he had started his racing career.
He has now won eight races – the previous seven were on soft and heavy tracks – and earned just over $307,000.
“Because the weather has been so hot, the sprinklers were put on the track on Saturday evening,” Desiree Kearney said this morning.
“That suited us fine by just taking the jar out of the ground, and apprentice Braith Nock’s 3kg claim brought Lady Shenanigans in really well with 53kg after finishing second a week ago at Hawkesbury with 55.5kg in a similar race.
“We didn’t do a lot with him between the runs. He went over a couple of jumps and had a couple of swims.
“Lady Shenanigans has been a wonderful bread and butter horse to us. His whole life is a holiday, and we love him.
“We occasionally put him on the float and take him to pony club events.
“Our daughter Isabella rides him afterwards, and puts him over a few jumps and he really enjoys it.
“We’re getting him ready for his life after racing, but he’s not ready for retirement yet.”
Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Darryll Kell went to the races confident yesterday that his mare Mahogany Girl had been overlooked by the market.
“Whilst she was beaten easily into second placing, she was picking up ground off the winner Without You in a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1500m) at Hawkesbury on November 12,” Kell said.
“The winner ran 1:28.18 that day, and I went back through the records and it had been a long time since 1:29 had been broken for that distance at Hawkesbury.
“There were excuses for Mahogany Girl’s last start fifth in a Midway Class 1 Handicap (1600m) at home as she wasn’t comfortable on the soft track.
“She had freshened up nicely, and I believed the market had gone it all wrong about her.”
Kell’s confidence grew when Without You was a late withdrawal at the barrier when found to be lame.
He was proven correct when Mahogany Girl (Chad Lever) was strong to the line to post her second win at her sixth comeback start after being off the scene for more than two and a half years after debuting when placed at Wagga in January 2022.
“She has eaten up overnight, and all going well has another run or two in her before she goes for a break,” Kell said.
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