Kelly Coe to cap Wexford’s big carnival in Thorndon Mile
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • January 9th, 2025 3:44 PM
A week on from Grail Seeker’s Telegraph heroics, Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will return to Trentham in search of a Group One double in Saturday’s Harcourts Thorndon Mile.
The Wexford Stables team are having a dream run this season, sitting in second place on the national trainers’ premiership with 40 wins and $1.9 million earned by their 201 runners. Grail Seeker has been the headline act, winning the Gr. 1 Tarzino Trophy and Telegraph in her only two starts so far this season.
“She’s a wonderful racehorse and it was a really good team effort to get her there in that condition last Saturday,” Scott said. “That was a special result and one that we’ll savour for a little while.”
O’Sullivan and Scott are now turning their attention to another of the accomplished mares in their Matamata stable, last-start Gr. 3 J Swap Sprint winner Kelly Coe.
The Proisir mare was originally being aimed at the Gr. 2 Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, but a change of tack will see her step up to Group One level for Saturday’s $500,000 feature.
“She was high in the weights in the Rich Hill Mile, and although the Thorndon Mile is a stronger line-up, we thought she’d be better off under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race,” Scott explained.
“She’s also been a previous winner over this distance at Trentham at this time of year, taking out the Douro Cup a couple of years ago.
“It’s a strong field, but our mare is in good form and we think she’s improved since her win at Te Rapa. Masa Hashizume’s ride was probably the winning of that race last time, so if he can give her a similar run again, she shouldn’t be far away at the finish.”
Kelly Coe will attempt to continue a remarkable summer for her owner-breeders Humphrey and Fiona O’Leary, whose other recent successes include the Gr. 1 TAB Mufhasa Classic with Ladies Man, the Listed Wanganui Cup with Whangaehu, and a $40,000 race at Trentham last Saturday with up-and-comer The Big Picture.
“Fiona and Humphrey were kind enough to send this very good mare up to us for this campaign,” Scott said. “Their colours have had a wonderful run of late, including down there at
Trentham. Hopefully that will continue into this weekend and we can add some valuable Group One form to her pedigree page.”
Another Matamata mare targeting the Thorndon is Te Akau’s Qali Al Farrasha, who has been freshened after finishing second in the Gr. 3 Counties Cup over 2100 metres in late November.
“She gets in on the minimum weight here and has freshened up really well from her Counties Cup run,” co-trainer Sam Bergerson said. “She doesn’t take a lot of work and seems to be in good form at home.
“She’s run well at Trentham previously, placing in the Oaks last year, and we think she can be competitive in what’s probably not the strongest edition of this race.”
Picture at the Top of the Page: Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will be cashing further Group One honours at Trentham this weekend with Kelly Coe. Photo: Supplied
