| From The Horses Mouth |
This year the Swan Hill Jockey Club has bucked the trend of naming a celebrity ambassador for their June long weekend carnival, instead they have chosen Aquanita stable star Haradasun. The on course "can bar" at Swan Hill is named after famous sibling Elvstroem, the club is hopeful Haradasun can follow in his footsteps and are preparing to build a new bar. Aquanita Racing has strong links with this carnival; both Elvstroem and Haradasun started their racing careers with wins at the track, and as younger brother Coubertin is only a year away from racing the club may require a big extension to the bar. With winter quickly approaching the time is perfect to head north for hot winter action. The Country Carnivals don't stop with the Mildura Racing Clubs two-day festival of racing. The racing begins on Friday the 25th of May with an 8 race programme the feature being the 1200m Sunraysia Sprint worth $30k. Saturday is a rest day, which gives everyone a day to relax and enjoy the great features of the region. Racing resumes on the Sunday with a card that features a1200m Class 2 County Showcase and a 2000m Class 3 Country Showcase, the highlight is the $50k 1400m Mildura Cup. With great facilities, racing and prize money on offer don't be surprised if you spot several Melbourne trainers heading toward Mildura in late May. Happy Racing The Aquanita Team |
| Staff Profile |
•Employee Profile: Alex Freeman•Nickname: Fonz •Position: Aquanita Farrier •How long have you worked at Aquanita: 5 years •Your best moment in racing: Haradasun winning George Ryder •Favorite TV Show: The Simpsons •Favorite Movie: Walk The Line •Favorite Food & Drink: Pistachio Nuts, Gin and Tonic •What do you do on days off? Sleep •Describe yourself: Dedicated to my work •What will St Peter say to you when you get to the pearly gates? Welcome |
| Stonehedge Farm - Drysdale |
In a move designed to keep Aquanita at the forefront of the racing industry a new preferred agistment property has been added to the business mix. Located at Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsular Stonehedge farm will be used as an agistment complex with the ability to cater for horses needing to maintain fitness levels during a short term freshen up. The farm is purpose built and has a capacity for eighty horses, facilities will include - 10 X 20 acre paddocks - 20 x 1 acre paddocks with shelters - 5 hospital boxes - Vet room with crush - 10 dams, largest being 15 mega litre - 50 metre pool  The site was chosen, as it is an equal distance between the Ballarat and Caulfield training facilities. The location will allow a much smoother transition and movement of horses between the three facilities of Drysdale, Ballarat and Caulfield. Another goal was to choose a venue that was not a horse property; this would allow construction to suit the master plan drawn up by the trainers. Aquanita trainer Robert Smerdon said. "I will have far greater control of horses whilst they are spelling, this will allow my horses to return from their break in peak condition. I see the farm as a win/win situation for Aquanita owners and trainers". Tony Vasil added. "This is a first class facility which will be of great benefit to my horses. The farm and the great people working here at Stonehedge will provide a vital amount of support to me as a trainer while my horses are spelling" |
| Warrnambool Wrap |
For the eleventh year in a row Chris Nolan - CEO Warrnambool Race Club - could not give away the trainers prize of a ninety thousand dollar Mercedes Benz. However he could not hide his excitement with the overall outstanding carnival that took place during the first week of May. The three days of racing was exciting and thrilling, the Warrnambool nightlife also continued the tradition of being first class. The Wednesday or middle day of the Carnival could well be renamed Aquanita Day. Robert who has been to so many Warrnambool carnivals that he is now deemed a local trained a double and a second placing on the Wednesday. Robert's wins included the feature race of the day, the Galleywood Hurdle, with his highly promising jumper Some Are Bent. Aquanita board member Mike Symons who put together a syndicate of friends from the Commonwealth Golf Club races Some Are Bent. A $40k purchase from the Adelaide Magic Millions, Some Are Bent has now won six of his thirty-six starts and nearly $250k in prize money. Robert's other win for the day was in the Class 4 Aquanita Handicap, where Benson saluted. A lightly raced son of super sire Danehill, Benson has now won four of seventeen and looks to be a horse on the way up. Aquanita Chairman Peter Howell races Benson with friend Peter McCarthy, fellow board member Mike Symons and long time Smerdon clients the Lanyon family of Clay Hero fame. |
•Racing horses the "Harry Lawton Way" more often than not results in winners. The master race syndicator most recent success was with the Tony Vasil trained Causeway Queen who saluted at Seymour. •Trainer Liam Birchley continued his great winning run when the consistent Upilio saluted at Eagle Farm recently. Upilio's connections, Travis and Lisa Schultz, Michael Callow, Mark Bray, Michael and Ann Grant - Taylor have enjoyed some great thrills with Upilio •After a huge sale season our horse breakers are working overtime to have the next crop of youngsters ready for the new racing season that begins on August 1. •An Aquanita favourite left the Caulfield stable in the past month, the very popular Nothin' Like Mary. Trained by Tony Vasil, Mary gave the All Night Syndicate some great thrills including three city wins. •Our Victorian agistment farms were overjoyed with the recent rain that fell across the state, let's hope there's plenty more to come. •Spare a thought for connections of Life's A Bounty who tragically passed away recently at Caulfield. He was certainly a favourite at the Ballarat Aquanita stables, particularly by trainer Dan O'Sullivan who had a soft spot for him. |
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Highlights • From The Horses Mouth • April Winners • Staff Profile • Warrnambool • Around the Tracks
April Winners • Tuscan Dream 02/04/07 - Ararat • Route De Soie 02/04/07 - Ararat • Causeway Queen 05/04/07 - Seymour • Ventilla 07/04/05 - Kyneton • Prince Dande Lion 09/04/07 - Caulfield • Haradasun 09/04/07 - Randwick Gr 1 • Choochookwa 13/04/07 - Cranbourne • Al Dietrich 14/04/07 - Yarra Glen • Atomic Huss 21/04/07 - Eagle Farm • Gorgeous Greta 22/04/07 - Ballarat • Nude Etruscan 25/04/07 - Beaudesert • The Roman 26/04/07 - Ballarat • City Of The Czars 26/04/07 - Ballarat • Elegance Warrior 28/04/07 - Seymour • Pink Pier 28/04/07 - Seymour • Upilio 28/04/07 - Eagle Farm Thanks to Racing & Sports and Slickpix for use of images in the Aquanita Form guide Slickpix TVN Authorised Racing Photographer Contact: Ross Holburt (03) 9354 5754 www.slickpix.com.au Racing and Sports Thoroughbred racing, breeding, form guides and sporting news. Contact: Gary Crispe (02) 6288 4080 www.racingandsports.com.au (03) 9573 3744 or via e-mail sam@aquanita.com.au |