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Young Hawkesbury trainers Jamie Thomsen and Mitchell Kearney will long remember Anzac Day 2017.
Thomsen clinched his first provincial success with Praise Songs at Gosford and Kearney continued the tremendous job he has done with Final Trick, who notched the sixth win of her career at Bathurst.
Praise Songs breakthrough victory by four lengths in the 2100m Maiden Plate revived memories of the former classy stayer Danewin.The four-year-old mare is not only a daughter of Danewin, but carries the same colors as she is also raced by Hong Kong businessman Sunny Yam.
Adding to the thrill of yesterday’s result was that Danewin’s trainer, Thomsen’s legendary father Bob, was trackside at Gosford to see his son win his first provincial race.Under Thomsen Snr’s guidance, Danewin’s major wins included the Spring Champion Stakes, Doomben Cup, Hollindale Stakes, Caulfield Stakes and Mackinnon Stakes.
He was also runner-up in the Victoria Derby, AJC Derby and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.Patiently ridden yesterday by Andrew Gibbons, Praise Songs was having her ninth start and her fourth run this preparation and followed up her previous fourth to Just Dylan in a Benchmark 55 Handicap (2000m) at Canberra on April 7.
Thomsen purchased Praise Songs for $20,000 on Yam’s behalf at the 2014 Scone yearling sale, and the mare is the only horse he trains for his overseas client.“Praise Songs was one of the last of Danewin’s progeny offered at public auction, and I liked her when I saw her,” Thomsen explained.
“She has taken so long to work out what the whole caper is about.“Praise Songs showed ability in her early trackwork, but has been one of those slow maturing stayers.
“Now that she has broken through, hopefully she can go on with the job.”Praise Songs was Thomsen’s second winner; his first being Maltese Knight at Moruya in February last year.
His stable is building momentum, with some good clients supporting him and 12 horses now in work.Final Trick beat Bursting Through and Showmaster in the Anzac Day Sprint (1200m) at Bathurst, continuing the superb job Kearney and his wife Desiree have done with the five-year-old mare.
Final Trick was to have been retired in 2015 when winless from 20 starts. Desiree Kearney purchased her for $1000 and rides her trackwork at Hawkesbury.A daughter of Ad Valorem, Final Trick’s first win was on protest at Bathurst in February last year at only her third start for the Kearneys, and she has since scored at Cowra, Taree, Cessnock and Goulburn prior to yesterday’s victory.
However, Final Trick won’t be chasing another success in the immediate future.“She has been up for a while this time around and is off to the paddock for a month,” Kearney said.
“Final Trick is such a little trier and always puts in whenever she goes to the races. She is our Winx.”