Lance Robinson is looking forward to further carnival success with Burnvue following the late-bloomer’s decisive victory on the closing day of the Grand National festival.
The Riccarton trainer’s gifted son of Redwood finished a sound third over 1800 metres on his home course before showing his versatility to handle the step back to a mile on Saturday for his fourth career victory.
Westbury Stud’s Redwood, a Group 1-winning son of High Chaparral, was also represented at the weekend by the stylish Tauranga winner Tascioni while his daughter Lady Redwood continued her progression with an effortless score at the Sunshine Coast.
Associate stallion Reliable Man was again in the thick of the action with Ombudsman landing the thick end of the A$100,000 Broome Cup stake in Western Australia and the Gerry Harvey-bred Heza Pleaza was a runaway winner at Toowoomba.
And not to be outdone, Swiss Ace’s promising home-bred three-year-old Lammer crowned the fine start he has made to his career when he coasted to victory at the Gold Coast after placing at his only other two outings.
Burnvue settled behind the leading pack on Saturday before he produced a sustained finishing burst under Lee Callaway to win going away.
“He is going really well and went a nice race on the first day when he hadn’t had a run for three weeks so it was the right call to stay at a mile,” Robinson said.
“He’s certainly good enough to go on to New Zealand Cup week to get a really good race.”
Good things come to those who wait as connections of the Stephen Marsh-trained Tascioni found to their delight when the six-year-old was a runaway first-up winner over 1400 metres at Tauranga at just her third start.
Kembla Grange trainer Paul Murray has also taken a patient approach with Lady Redwood and is reaping the rewards with the mare, who was bred by Harvey and he remains in the ownership group.
“When Gerry sent her to me he said wait until she’s a four or five-year-old, she’ll stay all day,” he said.
Lady Redwood has now won two of her 12 appearances, the latest over 2000 metres, and a further seven placings emphasise her genuine nature.
“I knew she would finish strongly and she did it easily in the last 150 metres. She’ll head to the provincials next and then we’ll have a crack in town,” Murray said.
Lady Redwood was a A$15,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale graduate and is a half-sister to the Westbury graduate Gold Medals, a Champion jumper and stakes performer on the flat.
They are out of Encosta De Lago’s daughter Lady Mulroy, who has produced nine winners and her youngest progeny is an unraced juvenile filly by Telperion.
Ombudsman dug deep to claim top honours in the Broome Cup for local identity Darryn Pateman, who has claimed numerous Leading Country Trainer titles.
The durable Reliable Man gelding began his career in Sydney and won twice from Chris Waller’s stable having initially been purchased by agent Guy Mulcaster at Karaka for $150,000.
Four-year-old Heza Pleaza is prepared by Tony and Maddysen Sears and showed his appreciation of the step up to 1850 metres to stroll and is out of the imported Johar mare Lady’s Wish, who is in foal to El Roca.
Lady’s Wish was successful three times in North American and is from the family of the multiple Group 1 winners Tizway and Will’s Way.
The Kacy Fogden-trained Lammer was also untroubled to break his maiden over 1350 metres and the lightly tried son of Swiss Ace was a $35,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale purchase.
He is the first winner for the More Than Ready mare Sainted, a half-sister to the dual stakes winner Kakakakatie with the elite level winners Bonanova, Fraternity and Telesto featuring on his pedigree page.
Sainted has an unraced sister to Lammer and foaled a colt last season by Tarzino before a return visit.