Renowned Horse Racing Stable Breaks Free From 3-Year Drought With Major Group 1 Victory

The sport of horse racing sees the entry of several fillies and thoroughbreds. However, while many get to enjoy the sweet taste of victory, the fruit eludes a lot of them. It is not uncommon for jockeys and trainers to fall into the same trap. However, fate was completely against an entire stable for almost three and a half long years.

The Oxlade Family stable saw the breaking of this dry spell with a stellar victory on 24 February 2024. Claiming the victory in a Group 1 race, the family stable clinched the Melbourne race with an unexpected racehorse. In fact, his trainer said that the horse racing equine seemed like he was running the race of his lifetime. With the long overdue curse being lifted, there’s a lot for the Oxlade ilk to rejoice about.

Winning the race with a dark horse candidate

The Oxlade family had a memorable Saturday when Shane and Cassie, a father-daughter trainer duo from South Australia, achieved Group 1 triumph in Melbourne with their horse Queman. Rider Harry Coffey rode the formerly troublesome horse racing equine Queman from their Strathalbyn Stable. He skillfully overtook Hypothetical right at the end to secure South Australia’s first Group 1 victory.

According to Shane Oxlade, “I thought he was drawn to run the race of his life… His form was really good going in, the form around him was good… He was lucky enough to pull it off.” The Oxlades entered two horse racing equines in the main race to bolster their chances of winning. However, while Queman got a big break, the story wasn’t the same for Sghirripa. 

Sghirripa, the more favored of the two, had a bad start due to jumping badly. Despite a late surge, he finished in seventh place, 2.2 lengths behind the winner. Interestingly, the South Australian horse racing scene witnessed several other developments. In fact, many trainers are strongly preparing for the upcoming tournament cups.

Horse racing epochal developments in Southern Australia

Victorian trainer Patrick Kearney is a strong horse racing trainer candidate for the Adelaide Cup at Morphettville. His equine, Yellowbrick Road, won the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes, marking a significant career victory for the rookie trainer. 

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While Kearney purchased his speedster at a discounted price, he says he received a tough horse. Divulging his upcoming goals, the Victoria native said, “We’ll be back here for the Adelaide Cup. Dreams are free and if he wins that we might have a crack at the Melbourne Cup.” 

Another Australian Trainer, Paul Gatt, has his sights set high as well. Unlike Kearney, however, Gatt isn’t willing to leave horse racing to chance. Moreover, he also operates with a Plan B in his arsenal. As the year moves ahead, these two, along with several other trainers from Australia, look toward a fruitful 2024 season.

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