Westbury Stud’s Redwood was represented by a winning trans-Tasman double on Saturday with St Lawrence back to his best in New South Wales and Rosetown Princess a deserved victress at Hawera.
Farm graduate St Lawrence was successful in six of his first seven starts before adding seven minor placings and he impressively returned to the winners’ circle at Randwick over 1600 metres.
“He hasn’t been racing badly at all, it was a good run (second) in the Goulburn Cup the other day,” trainer Ciaron Maher said.
“We were planning on rolling forward from an awkward draw, but he didn’t step that well. Tommy rode him quietly instead and he finished it off really well.
“He’s thriving in what he’s doing. You’ve just got to keep these older geldings happy and healthy and you keep them moving around. He’s been in work quite a while, but a change is as good as a holiday sometimes.”
Bred by Gerry Harvey, the six-year-old drifted back to second last before picking up ground across the top and he finished determinedly for rider Tommy Berry to bowl his Benchmark 94 opposition.
St Lawrence began his career in New Zealand and was a debut winner at Hastings from the stable of the now retired Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
Harvey remained in the ownership when a syndicate, including high-profile owner Ozzie Kheir, bought into the gelding in a deal brokered by Maher’s bloodstock manager Will Bourne.
St Lawrence is a son of the Encosta De Lago mare Bacio Del Vinto, who also the dam of the G3 Manawatu Cup winner Marroni.
Bacio Del Vinto is a daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Lotteria with decorated Singapore performer and G2 McEwen Stakes winner and Group 1 performer The Inferno featuring in the pedigree.
The mare also has an unraced El Roca three-year-old named Orson Stone and she had a son of Tarzino last season and is due to again foal to El Roca.
Meanwhile, genuine mare Rosetown Princess was successful at Tauranga following a run of minor placings.
She had finished in the money in five of her previous six appearances before accounting for her Rating 65 rivals over 1500 metres on Saturday.
Her only blemish had been at Te Rapa where she was unplaced after drifting to the tail of the field and only got going when the race was all over.
“She’s a funny horse and all of her best races have been from off the pace, but last time she just got too far back,” said trainer, part-owner and co-breeder Darrell Hollinshead.
Rosetown Princess settled back of midfield away from the fence before improving across the top and she drove between runners 250 metres from home for rider Masa Hashizume to win going away by two lengths.
The mare is a sister to the winners Redwood Shadow and Rosetown Princess with their dam the Thorn Park mare Prickley Princess, who was successful on four occasions.
She is a half-sister to the Hollinshead family’s G1 Easter Handicap winner Pondarosa Miss, whose brother Ecuador won twice at Listed level and was a three-time Group 1 placegetter.
It is also the upfront family of the ill-fated Te Akau Shark, who won the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes and the G1 Waikato Sprint and earned cult status during a relatively brief career.