Special Reward the Class Act in Carrington Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday January 22

The $150,000 Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick was lone stakes race in Australia on Saturday, which fell to a proven stakes performer.

The Kris Lees-trained topweight Special Reward was given a quiet ride by Glyn Schofield. The 6yo son of Demerit proved unstoppable when launching down the outside to defeat the Wanted gelding Through The Cracks by a length with the Pins gelding No Compromise a short-half-head back in third.

It was the fourth stakes win for the sleek black gelding advancing his record to ten four one from 29 starts with earnings of $1,104,630.

He had won six of his first nine starts for Simon Miller in Western Australia before his sale to Australian Bloodstock.

“He is starting to show the consistency he showed in his early career,” Lees said.

“He is racing in better company and getting up in the weights. He had excuses at Canterbury last start (when second in the Listed Christmas Classic), but he ran well.

“He looked likely to be in the finish a long way from home - Glyn rides him well.

“He is a horse that you can’t expose too early. If you didn’t know him and expose him at the top of the straight, he could be found wanting in the last 100m.

“We gave him a nice long break before this preparation, and he has been a great money-spinner of late.”

Bred by Taunton Vale, Special Reward is one of three stakes winners out of the Special Bond mare Special Kiseki.

Special Reward a $145,000 Perth Magic Millions yearling

Special Reward follows the Group III WATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Showy Chloe (Alfred Nobel) and Listed winner El Rijes (Eternity Range).

Special Kiseki has a yearling filly by Sessions.

Purchased by John Chalmers Bloodstock for $145,000 out of the Taunton Vale draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Special Reward is the most expensive yearling sold by his sire Demerit.

A Group III winning son of Lonhro, Demerit was euthanised in July 2019 after breaking a tibia in a paddock accident.

    

Advertisment

Race Result - The Agency Carrington Stakes LR 1400m

Randwick Track: Good(4) Time: 1:22.50
1
Special Reward
- 6g Demerit (AUS) x Special Kiseki (AUS) (Special Bond (AUS))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: G Schofield 59
2
1.0
Through The Cracks
- 7g Wanted (AUS) x More Than Acracker (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: Angela Davies Rdr: Rachel King 53.5
3
1.1
No Compromise
- 5g Pins (AUS) x Baggy Green (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: A B Collett 53.5
4
1.2
Purple Sector
- 6g Pins (AUS) x Eden Valley (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: John Thompson Rdr: J Bowman 58
5
1.4
True Detective
- 5g Shamus Award (AUS) x Girls Rule (AUS) (Geiger Counter (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Tommy Berry 54
6
1.6
Invinciano
- 6m I Am Invincible (AUS) x Equiano (AUS) (Al Maher (AUS))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: Regan Bayliss 54
7
2.0
Steely
- 5g All Too Hard (AUS) x Quintessential (NZ) (Fast 'n' Famous (AUS))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: Tim Clark 55
8
2.4
Ziegfeld
- 5g New Approach (IRE) x Maid To Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: Gavin Bedggood Rdr: K Mc Evoy 56
9
3.4
Prime Candidate
- 7g Denman (AUS) x Coolroom Candidate (AUS) (Mister C. (USA))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: J R Collett 57
10
4.1
Laure Me In
- 7g Ad Valorem (USA) x Laurelling (USA) (Highest Honor (FR))
Tnr: David Pfieffer Rdr: S Clipperton 57.5
11
4.4
Charmmebaby
- 5m Charm Spirit (IRE) x Lithe (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: R R Milligan Rdr: Reece Jones 54
12
4.7
Looks Like Elvis
- 7g All American (AUS) x Savalook (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: J M Austin Rdr: N Rawiller 56
13
5.1
Petronius
- 5g Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Cat By The Tale (USA) (Tale Of The Cat (USA))
Tnr: G W Moore Rdr: R Dolan 53
More Reading...
Luberon Heads Cambridge Stud Saturday Charge
Lance Noble will attempt to add to a strong run of spring form for Cambridge Stud when he sends out five well-credentialled runners in Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s black and gold colours at Pukekohe on Saturday.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Demerit's Special Reward Earns First Stakes win in Southern Cross Stakes
Former West Australian Special Reward was none too keen to get to the barriers for Saturday’s Group III Cellarbrations Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) but he saved his antics to pre-race because he was all business in the run bringing a timely update for his MM Perth bound half-sister.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.
A Hometown Victory in the Newcastle Newmarket
For the second year in succession trainer Kris Lees, jockey Brenton Avdulla and Australian Bloodstock have combined to win the Group III Suez Newcastle Newmarket Hcp (1400m) at Newcastle.
Special Reward Breaks the Drought
Ninety-two weeks out of the winner’s circle, Australian Bloodstock’s Special Reward moved his earnings to $4,000 short of $1million with a dominant win in Saturday’s Listed Razor Sharp Hcp (1200m) at Randwick.
$2,000 Gavelhouse Bargain Keeps on Winning!
The Grey Goose continued to belie her purchase price last start when recording her fifth win at Wingatui, bringing her career earnings to more than $225,000.