Robert Sangster Stakes (Group 1)

ADELAIDE’s feature May racing carnival clicked into gear over the weekend with two Group 1 races at Morphettville.

The Robert Sangster Stakes over 1,200 metres for fillies and mares saw local trainer Phillip Stokes, who also holds stables at Caulfield, land the win with the Not A Single Doubt filly Instant Celebrity, just the second three-year-old to do so in the past 10 years.

“A great thrill and a great team effort,” said Stokes. “Craig Williams, what a ride. He never went around a horse. It is a big thrill for the owners.”

In the following race the Group 1 Australasian Oaks over 2,000 metres was up for grabs, the win going to the Shamus Award filly Media Award over the Coolmore-owned Fastnet Rock filly Personal.

“This is bigger than Neil Armstrong walking on the moon,” declared a jubilant trainer Chris Calthorpe who purchased Media Award for $5,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale.

“This is just unbelievable. She’s a very special horse and made all the more special as one of my best mates Trumby (Luke Nolen) rode her,” added Calthorpe.

“I met the ownership group from Lavington Football Club for the first time last night. I said you must think I am a dick when I said I wanted to go for the Australasian Oaks. They said ‘no, you haven’t lied to us yet and you’ve been honest with us, up front from day one’.”

Williams touching tribute

Craig Williams was on fire in Adelaide riding three winners and poignantly making time to acknowledge a patron who was having his final wish fulfilled.

“Nigel Latham, he was the inspiration for her (Instant Celebrity) success today,” said Williams. “Nigel’s here (on-course) but unfortunately he only has days to live. He’s come here with the ambulance people, his last dying wish was to come to the races. So to Nigel Latham, I said to my horse if she’d get over the line we’d make sure we give him the winning goggles and she did her job really well.

“We’d like to be grateful to people like Nigel who support the industry and have his last dying wish coming here today for a great raceday.”

Sherry’s 900km trip for $200k

A 900 kilometre round trip for just one ride was more than worthwhile for Tom Sherry in Thursday’s A$200,000 Wagga Town Plate.

Leading around the bend on the Hemingway gelding Marway the pair streeted away, the course broadcaster hollering; “This is a demolition.”

Making short work of the 1,200 metres, Marway won by a widening four lengths for trainer Mark Newnham, to whom Sherry is apprenticed.

“The feel he gives you, how fast he is and how he can kick off with that sprint, you wouldn’t say he couldn’t pick up a listed race somewhere in the city area,” said Sherry. “There are plenty of races for these sprinters around and the boss (Newnham) is sensational at picking them out.”