High-priced filly Erin Jo set for Randwick debut for owners John Singleton and Erin Molan
A regally-bred filly owned by John Singleton and Erin Molan is one of the more interesting runners at Friday’s Randwick Kensington meeting.
There will be ample interest in the second event at the Randwick Kensington meeting on Friday when Erin Jo, named after former Sky News presenter Erin Molan, makes her racetrack debut.
Larrikin advertising guru John Singleton created headlines at last year’s Inglis Easter Sales when revealing he had splurged a cool $700,000 to purchase the regally bred filly which he in turn gifted a share of to Molan.
“I prefer to race all my horses with friends,” Singleton said at the time.
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“It doubles the enjoyment, I love and enjoy Erin’s intellect, talent and sense of humour.
“Erin (the horse) is part owned by Erin (Molan).”
There will be an added layer to Erin Jo’s racetrack debut with the blueblood daughter of I Am Invincible and the ill-fated Lucia Valentina trained by Kris Lees.
Lees prepared Lucia Valentina during her glittering career which included three Group 1 triumphs.
Sadly Lucia Valentina passed away in August last year, just days out from being covered by super sire Zoustar.
“Yes it makes it a little more special,” Lees said of the Lucia Valentina connection.
“We’ll ride her conservatively from that wide gate and see what she offers.
“She’s got a nice future but whether that’s at 1300m at her first start we’ll have to wait and see.”
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THEY’VE ALL GOT TO START SOMEWHERE
There will be no two-year-old races at Rosehill on Sunday but it was a very different story at the corresponding meeting 31 years ago when two were run and won.
The Daily Telegraph’s resident form expert and part-time historian Shayne O’Cass dug through the archives to find this formguide cover revealing the depth of quality among the juveniles.
Leading the charge back in 1994 was a then unraced colt by the name of Octagonal which debuted in the AJC Ansett Frequent Flyer Handicap (1100m).
And it was a good result for punters with the ‘Big O’ running away to win by the best part of three lengths as a 15/4 favourite.
“He is not a Slipper horse,’’ Octagonal’s champion trainer John Hawkes said immediately after the win.
“He will be spelled immediately and his aim in the autumn will be the AJC Sires Produce Stakes.”
As history would have it, Octagonal did contest the Slipper, finishing a close second to 25/1 shot Flying Spur and ahead of Melbourne filly Millrich, which would go on to become the mother of two-time The Everest winner Redzel.
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TOP QUEENSLAND APPRENTICE SET FOR SECOND SYDNEY STINT
Talented Queensland apprentice Jace McMurray has returned to the leading Sydney stables of Michael Freedman.
It will serve as McMurray’s second stint with Freedman after spending three months in the Harbour City under the Randwick mentor’s tutelage back in April.
“It was always the intention to send him back to Queensland for the duration of the spring carnival and he rode a good few city winners up there,” Freedman said.
“It was a good move I think and he’s come back, head down and bum up.
“He was a bit reluctant to go up there initially because he thought it was going backwards but the opportunities dry up in Sydney for a three kilo claiming apprentice during the spring.
“He went up there and rode multiple city winners and now he’s come back with a two kilo claim which he’s earned.
“The whole exercise worked well, he was down a bit on confidence when he went back but he’s come back this time knowing what to expect.”
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MILLIONS HOPEFULS TO MAKE WYONG PITSTOP
Midweek racing heads to Wyong next Wednesday where two crucial Magic Millions events will be staged.
The traditional events for the two-year-olds and also the three and four-year-olds will be run and won as connections work towards banking enough prize money to be there when the whips are cracking on the Glitter Strip of the Gold Coast on January 17.
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FRENCH HOOP THE TOAST OF THE TOWN
It might only be December but former French hoop Pierre Boudvillain is making every post a winner in the NSW country jockeys’ premiership.
Boudvillian has already landed 53 wins to be 12 clear of Ben Looker on 41.
Such has been his blazing start to the season, only Willie Pike (70) and Ben Thompson (54) have ridden more winners to date.
While Greg Ryan’s eyewatering record (215) set in 2002/03 will likely prove a bridge too far, the in form hoop is on a trajectory to well and truly enjoy a career best year.
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Originally published as High-priced filly Erin Jo set for Randwick debut for owners John Singleton and Erin Molan
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