March 17, 2015Newhaven Park Chasing Another Slipper Success
Sydney, March 6 – The Kelly family of Newhaven Park are no strangers to success in Australia’s greatest juvenile race the Golden Slipper and they will go in with a top chance this year after exciting Encosta de Lago filly English scored a stylish win in the Group II ATC Reisling Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Prepared by Gai Waterhouse, English bolted in on debut at Kembla on January 31 and has been taken along quietly since then, tuned up for this assignment with an electric trial win on February 23.
Tackling Black Type for the first time, English made it look easy, settling midfield for Blake Shinn and then tracking Ottoman into the race at just the right time.
She sped to the lead and held off all challengers to win the 1200 metre dash by best part of a length and has now won two out of two with prizemoney just shy of $200,000.
“This is a very special filly,” Waterhouse said. “She’s superbly bred by Encosta De Lago, I can’t fault her.
“Today was her chance of saying,’yes I’m a real live Slipper hope’ and she goes in on her third run, perfect timing.”
Blake Shinn was full of praise for the filly.
“We had the race won I felt at the 250 (metres), so I just tried to look after her as best I could,” he said.
“Super impressive win!”
A homebred for Newhaven Park, English is a half-sister to promising winner Puzzle and is the second foal from dual Group II winning Anabaa (USA) mare Court, who comes from the family of outstanding racehorse and sire Grand Lodge (USA).
Her dam Court missed in 2013 so had no foal in 2014, but was covered by champion sire Redoute’s Choice last year.
With a win in the Reisling, English will now get her chance to write the latest chapter of Golden Slipper success for Newhaven Park.
The Kelly family owned Newhaven Park have bred four past winners in John’s Hope, Vivarchi, Burst and Prowl, while the Booroowa based farm has also been home to past Slipper winners Marauding and Luskin Star, who retired there to stud.
The farm’s legendary stallion Wilkes (Fr) sired not only John’s Hope and Vivarchi, but also Vain, thought by many to be the greatest ever winner of the Slipper.
“We’re incredibly proud of our past successes in the Golden Slipper,” said John Kelly.
“It’s a unique race that has shaped the Australian breeding industry and our role in its history is the source of much pride and satisfaction to our family.”
English is the 106th stakes-winner for recently retired champion sire Encosta de Lago, whose progeny have won a great many races but never a Golden Slipper.
Encosta de Lago has proven a real success as a sire of sires through the likes of Northern Meteor and Manhattan Rain, so the team at Newhaven are looking forward to next year when we will offer the first yearlings by our exciting young sire Delago Deluxe.