Lightly-raced, locally-based mares All About Eve (Star Turn) and Come On Eileen (Headwater) signed off Ballarat’s Thursday meeting with first-up victories for Vinery.
They were both returning after disappointing preps last season but went about getting back in the good books by different means. All About Eve stormed home from last in the Sportsbet Hcp (1000m) while Come On Eileen defied running down in the Australian Skin Clinics Hcp (1400m).
All About Eve had won a Ballarat nursery on debut and was runner-up in the VOBIS Gold Elvstroem Classic in a promising introduction for trainer Andrew Noblet. “We brought her back for Stakes races during the spring carnival but she didn’t come up against the other 3yo fillies,” Noblet recalled. “There were no issues. She was working well but not performing on raceday.
“It was no different in the autumn so we decided to give her a long spell up at Rushton Park where she was bred and they did a great job. She came back in wonderful condition and the strength of Star Turn really shows in her frame. We only gave her the one jump-out at Burrumbeet before today. She’s a beautiful mover and I told Johnny (Allen) she would get back and then let down fresh.”
Noblet paid $110,000 for All About Eve at the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale on behalf of Carbine Thoroughbreds. She was bred by Rushton Park’s David & Kayley Johnson and WA-based Ben Duncan from Garden Of Eden (Blackfriars) who is a half-sister to Perth Group 3 winner Grand Nirvana (Scenic).
Matt Cumani was delighted to see Come On Eileen back in winning form although doing it from the front wasn’t Plan A. She led to win her maiden at Kilmore in March but Cumani expected her to settle behind the speed at her home track.
“She broke well and Jordie (Childs) went for it. He judged it perfectly. We didn’t want it to develop into a sit and sprint so he built it up gently and that meant she kept finding all the way to the line. It was a gutsy win. She’s a straightforward mare and is a sweetheart at home. She was a bit of a hat-rack but has filled out and hopefully she can keep that condition and get out further than 1600m.”
Come On Eileen was bred by Glastonbury Farm and their Stakes-performed Headwater graduate Tristate has opened a $4 favourite for trainer Anthony Cummings in the Midway Hcp (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Headwater sired her from Eyelean, an Australian-bred daughter of Galileo. She’s a half-sister to South African Group 2 winner Super Profit (Spinning World) and their dam Asian Incline (Slant) was a Stakes winner in Perth and Melbourne.
Vinery stands Headwater for $16,500 and Star Turn for $27,500 (Fees inc GST). For bookings or further information, please contact Adam White (0414 800 918) or Harry Roach (0401 970 006).
