Lingani too good again, Taylor Johnstone notches metro double at Morphettville

Dom Tourneur delivered a classy ride aboard in-form mare Lingani to see the speedster power through for an impressive win at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

Lingani wins at Morphettville Parks on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Dom Tourneur delivered a classy ride aboard in-form mare Lingani to see the speedster power through for an impressive win at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

Parked midfield in running, Tourneur steered Lingani to the inside at the top of the straight, bursting through a gap to unleash a blistering turn of foot, holding off talented rival Aviatress.

It snared back-to-back wins for the Peter and Belinda Blanch-trained mare after her Lightning Stakes triumph last start, knocking off race favourite Aviatress, who had a 3.5kg weight advantage at 54.5kg.

“She’s a big, scopey type of a mare, I thought if anyone can handle the weight (58kg), she certainly can,” Belinda Blanch said post-race.

“We put her out for eight days after the Lightning and she came in with dapples all over her and looked amazing – we thought ‘gosh, we’ve got to run her’.

She's a beauty! 💥

Lingani continues her winning ways this prep! 👏 @domjockpic.twitter.com/Yn7vbkwoAT

— Racing.com (@Racing) August 17, 2024

The mare is quickly building a reputation as one of Adelaide’s most exciting sprinters, and will line up in September’s Listed W H Wylie Handicap (1100m).

“The plan has always been to go the Wylie (Handicap), we’re definitely going to head into that direction,” she said.

“We’ll see how she pulls up, we may consider putting her in the paddock for another few days, clearly that worked last time, we’ll have to go home and think about the plan.”

Earlier on Morphettville’s nine-race card, Ryan Balfour-trained gelding Quanah produced a gutsy win with Alana Livesey aboard, making it two wins from two starts for the promising four-year-old.

Two of Adelaide’s young guns also showcased their skills in back-to-back races on Saturday, with Ben Price producing a shrewd steer aboard Vee Rod to score, before Rochelle Milnes gave Alpine Flyer a gun run in the following race to skip away an easy winner.

The result saw Alpine Flyer back on the winner’s list after a last-start third at Flemington, and trainer Michael Hickmott praised Milnes’ ride post-race.

“She’s a girl with a great deal of ability, she rode this mare once before, and to her own admission probably made the wrong call on her,” Hickmott said.

“I said you’ll get back on her, she did and it was a great ride.”

Taylor Johnstone celebrates a double aboard Winning Revolution. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Phillip Stokes-trained gelding Chambers Bay continued his recent good form, notching a third win this preparation with talented Tasmanian apprentice Taylor Johnstone in the saddle.

It was the first winner of a maiden metro double for Johnstone, who also secured victory with Winning Revolution for Jon O’Connor in race nine.

The hoop is making a name for herself in Adelaide since crossing from Tasmania on a three-month loan under trainer Andrew Gluyas.

Johnstone has ridden six winners in SA thus far, and Saturday’s double will help ensure the opportunities keep on coming thick and fast.

“She’s rides one for us each morning, I’m rapt for her to get a city winner for the team,” Tommy Stokes said post-race.

“It was a smart ride, she was patient which was good.”

Kayla Crowther continued her strong start to the metro season with a win on evergreen gelding Smiling Assassin for Garret Lynch, the eight-year-old notching the 11th win of a career that has surpassed $400,000 in prizemoney.

Originally published as Lingani too good again, Taylor Johnstone notches metro double at Morphettville