Lily to blossom for new Mishani trainer Donna Stanbridge in chase for first city winner

Donna Stanbridge is seeking her first metropolitan winner and is hoping fancied speedster Mishani Lily can do the job for her at Doomben on Saturday.

New Mishani trainer Donna Stanbridge admits her nerves are jangling as she shoots for her first metropolitan winner with fancied speedster Mishani Lily at Doomben on Saturday.

In her rookie period as a trainer, Stanbridge has saddled up winners at Goondiwindi and Gatton but that’s a far cry from the big smoke where she has $456,000 prizemoney earner Mishani Lily set to line up.

Stanbridge is the new face of colourful owner Mike Crooks’ Mishani operation which previously had Les Ross as head trainer until a fight with cancer saw Ross retire from training at the end of the past racing season.

Stanbridge, who once spent time working for Lindsay Park in South Australia – then under the helm of the late, great Peter Hayes – is set to have a busy few months with the Mishani operation to unleash their two-year-old team.

But first, she hopes to become a city-winning trainer with three-year-old filly Mishani Lily who was last seen at the races when scoring the Listed Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm in May.

Donna Stanbridge, the new trainer for Mike Crooks' Mishani operation.

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Mishani Lily is the $2.25 favourite for the $85,000 QTIS 3YO Handicap (1110m) on Saturday and it will be a case of handlebars down and go fast.

Mishani Lily has never been ridden by an apprentice jockey in her eight starts but 3kg claimer Cody Collis will ride on Saturday to reduce the flying filly’s 60kg impost.

“I haven’t ticked off the box of winning a race in the city as yet, so hopefully I can on Saturday,” Stanbridge said.

“I have faith in Mishani Lily but I will be very nervous and I do feel pressure.

“Mike (Crooks) is very excited to see the return of this filly.

“We were pretty happy with her trial, she did everything right and showed us she still has pretty of speed.

“We would have liked to put a senior jockey on, but just with the weight, we had to help the filly out a bit.

“Hopefully this filly goes to the lead and it’s all pretty straightforward.

“Going forward, Mike is looking around interstate in case there is a race there he likes down there for her.”

Mishani Lily makes it two in a row and wins the Listed Dalrello Stakes!

@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/VdVKYQ9RBn

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 4, 2024

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With the time that Eagle Farm has been out of action, it has thrown the looming two-year-old Queensland races into some disarray with Toowoomba’s Pat O’Shea Plate already moved to next year.

The Mishani operation traditionally has big numbers in early season juvenile races in the Sunshine State, but Stanbridge said it may not have the two-year-old squadron this season that it’s had in previous seasons.

“Some of our two-year-olds will be seen in early October, but we are not looking to have big numbers,” Stanbridge said.

“We haven’t really planned things after early October as they (racing officials) have had to take some of the two-year-old races out of the calendar.”

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Best backed to beat Mishani Lily on Saturday is Kevin Kemp-trained gelding Apuntar which is $8.50 into $5.50.

Stanbridge and Crooks also have $81 roughie Mishani Fire in the same race.

Originally published as Lily to blossom for new Mishani trainer Donna Stanbridge in chase for first city winner