Big Weekend for Toronado as Laverrod Captures the Hareeba Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday March 20

It was another perfect steer by the man of the moment, Willie Pike, on the West Australian-trained gelding Laverrod in the $200,000 Listed Neds Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington on Saturday.

Laverrod opens his stakes account (image Grant Courtney)

Coming from back in the field, Laverrod defeated How Womantic (The Wow Signal) by three-quarters of a length with Hightail (Written Tycoon) a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.

Trained by Sean and Jake Casey, Laverrod earned his stakes breakthrough after placing in five black-type races in the west.

Advertisement

The 4yo geldeding is a son of Swettenham Stud’s high-flying Toronado (IRE), who was responsible for Pike’s Group 1 winner Masked Crusader in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Laverrod advanced his record to six wins, six seconds and six thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $482,280.

Pike said he will not be going overboard in celebrating his 4-timer.

“A cup of tea and a block of chocolate. That’ll be it,” he said.

“His (Laverrod) form has always been good but I suppose at different times he can be a bit patchy. I just said to Jake that he’s a lovely big strong horse but he’s not as strong mentally as his body is.

“Today I thought I’d ride him a bit softer, not quite expecting to be where I was but I was just hoping to not be in the breeze. I think the speed up front was good and he got to run onto them and he enjoyed it.”

Four from four for Willie Pike (image Grant Courtney)

Sean and Jake Casey were celebrating a second winner on the day after Dom To Shoot in the Mornington Guineas.

“He’s been knocking on the door and he got everything go his way today so we’re really happy,” Jake Casey said.

“He mainly just came over with Dom To Shoot to have a few races here as there’s not a lot there (in WA) for him with his rating being so high. It’s good that they both got the job done today.”

A $140,000 pinhook by James Bester out of the Lauriston Thoroughbred Farm draft at the 2017 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, Laverrod made $270,000 to the bid of Yenrise Pty Ltd, when offered by Coolmore Stud at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Laverroad a $270,000 yearling

Bred by Brett Howard’s Randwick Bloodstock and partners, Laverrod is the best of four winners from as many to race out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Demasheen.

A winner at Caulfield and Morphettville from eight starts, Demasheen was purchased by Whitling Bloodstock for $120,000 out of the Glenesk Thoroughbreds draft at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Laverrod becomes the 11th stakes-winner for the High Chaparral stallion Toronado (IRE).

Advertisment

Race Result - Neds Hareeba Stakes LR 1200m

Mornington Track: Good(3) Time: 1:10.03
1
Laverrod
- 4g Toronado (IRE) x Demasheen (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: S & J Casey Rdr: W Pike 54
2
0.8
How Womantic
- 4m The Wow Signal (IRE) x Banderilla (AUS) (Delzao (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
3
2.1
Hightail
- 4g Written Tycoon (AUS) x La Paris (AUS) (Falvelon (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: M J Dee 54
Inglis Chairman's Sale $0
Seller: Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford
Buyer: Withdrawn
Inglis Premier Yearling Sale $360,000
Seller: Morningside, Wahring
Buyer: MG Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd
4
2.2
Ancestry
- 4g The Brothers War (USA) x Maltese (AUS) (Tale Of The Cat (USA))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: L Nolen 58.5
5
4.1
I'm Telling Ya
- 7g Reward For Effort (AUS) x Rapid Sensation (AUS) (Success Express (USA))
Tnr: Amy & Ash Yargi Rdr: D Yendall 54
6
5.3
Sirius Suspect
- 6g Wanted (AUS) x Sirius Miss (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Saab Hasan Rdr: Patrick Moloney 56
7
5.5
Bons Away
- 7g Bon Hoffa (AUS) x Villa Albani (AUS) (Mossman (AUS))
Tnr: Ms W Kelly Rdr: Dean Holland 54.5
8
6.3
Blaze Forth
- 8g Court Command (AUS) x Certain Blaze (AUS) (Blazing Saddles (AUS))
Tnr: J K Blacker Rdr: C Newitt 54
9
8.3
Outrageous
- 5g All Too Hard (AUS) x Fit And Ready (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Will Price 56
More Reading...
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.
Sweet Redemption for Stable Favourite Jimmy the Bear
Patrick and Michelle Payne enjoyed a red letter day at Flemington on Saturday with their rising star Buccleuch winning the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final and then later in the day stable favourite Jimmy the Bear won the Listed VRC Winter Championship Series Final (1600m).
Divine Prophet’s Fortunate Kiss Captures Elusive Black Type Win
With nine top five finishes in previous black type races, it was better late than never as 6yo Divine Prophet mare Fortunate Kiss charged along the inside to win the $300,000 Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday – her first black type victory.
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 5
Here is the full list of 112 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Pride’s Outsider Estadio Mestalla Wins Winter Stakes
The lone stakes race on Rosehill’s ten-race card on Saturday saw Joe Pride’s race outsider Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) take out the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) in a boilover.
New Juvenile Stakes-Winner Wootton Bassett
A two year-old Wootton Bassett  colt bred to stay, Daytona made it two wins as many starts when scoring a dominant win in the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes (1m) at Naas in Ireland overnight.
Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz Wins A.R. Creswick Stakes
While many felt the winner of Saturday’s Listed $175,000 VRC A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) had raced two weeks prior in the Shop Flemington Handicap (1100m) – and they would’ve been correct – but it was not the result many punters felt it would be!
Dubawi Colt from $US8million Mare Wins G1 Coral Eclipse for Coolmore
Blueblood Dubawi colt Delacroix was a beaten favourite in the Group I Epsom Derby when unplaced behind his stablemate Lambourn, but he found his time to shine overnight when scoring a miraculous last to first win in the Group I Coral Eclipse Stakes (1m2f) at Sandown.
Kiwi Bred Good Banter Finds Winning Form
Four-year-old mare Good Banter was back in the winner’s circle when narrowly prevailing in the Catanach's Jewellers Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.