A Front Page Blitz in the Wagga Town Plate

Mark Smith - Thursday May 5

There were emotional scenes following Thursday’s $200,000 Iron Jack 2022 Wagga Town Plate after the injury-plagued Front Page put his opponents to the sword.

The son of Magnus looked to have last October’s $1.2million The Kosciuszko at his mercy but suffered a tendon injury to his near-hind leg days before the race.

Front Page is a flyer (image Grant Courtney)

Twelve months earlier, he was scratched by vets on raceday when injuring himself in the float on the morning of the race.

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So trainer Geoff Duryea was entitled to be emotional when Tyler Schiller guided the favourite to a four and a half-length triumph at his first start since September last year.

The first to jump, Front Page took a trail behind Calescent. Under a stranglehold entering the home straight, Front Page put the race to bed in a matter of strides.

The Mitch Beer-trained Mnementh claimed second two and a half lengths to the good of the Gary Colvin-trained Another One (Super One).

The winner of the Listed VRC AR Creswick Stakes, Front Page advances his record to five wins and three seconds with earnings of $289,425.

“The owners spent a lot of money and a lot of time, and today he rewarded them for their patience,” Duryea told Sky Racing.

“Today, he proved he is almost back to his best.  

“It’s been a long, drawn-out saga to get him where we are.

“He has had so many little setbacks; it’s been hard to believe.”

Front Page is a brother to the stakes-placed filly News Girl, who was purchased by Two Bays Farm for $375,000 at the 2021 Inglis September (Early) Online Sale. She was covered by Deep Field in her first season.

Front Page is out of Stacey Lee, a talented daughter of Bel Esprit.

Geoff Duryea purchased Stacey Lee for $20,000 out of the Baerami Thoroughbreds draft at the 2009 Inglis Australian Select Weanling Sale.

She won 5 of her 20 starts while banking $73,257 and is a daughter of the Varick mare Curio Jade who placed in the Group 1 Queensland Classic and Listed Doomben Slipper.

Stacy Lee has a yearling filly by Rubick and was covered by Widden Stud’s Magnus again last spring, having not been covered in 2020.

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Race Result - Iron Jack 2022 Town Plate 1200m

Wagga Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.53
1
Front Page
- 5g Magnus (AUS) x Stacey Lee (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: G M Duryea Rdr: Tyler Schiller 54.5
2
4.5
Mnementh
- 5g Eurozone (AUS) x Yurrapendi (AUS) (Pendragon (NZ))
Tnr: Mitchell Beer Rdr: J Lyon 54
3
7.0
Another One
- 4g Super One (AUS) x Herewegoagain (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: G J Colvin Rdr: Brock Ryan 54
4
7.1
Ready To Humble
- 5g Rubick (AUS) x Humble (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: N J Olive Rdr: J Penza 54
5
7.2
Handle The Truth
- 6g Star Witness (AUS) x Assertively (AUS) (Bernardini (USA))
Tnr: K R Dryden Rdr: Billy Owen 59.5
6
7.4
Calescent
- 5m Sizzling (AUS) x Pimlico Girl (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Dale Rdr: Ms K Nisbet 54
7
7.5
Irish Songs
- 6g Shamus Award (AUS) x Lucky Songs (NZ) (Johar (USA))
Tnr: Kurt Goldman Rdr: Tommy Berry 55
8
7.6
King Of Hastings
- 5g Ilovethiscity (AUS) x Handcut (AUS) (Danerich (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Damien Thornton 59
9
7.7
Broken Arrows
- 6g Smart Missile (AUS) x Extremely (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: David Pfieffer Rdr: A B Collett 54
10
8.3
Brenlyn's Trooper
- 4g Redente (AUS) x One For The Kids (AUS) (Hold That Tiger (USA))
Tnr: Sylvia Thompson Rdr: Josh Richards 54
11
8.4
On The Lead
- 4g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Marechal (NZ) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: Richard & Will Freedman Rdr: R Dolan 54
12
8.6
Zell
- 5g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Viennese Lass (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: J Ford 54
13
9.7
Starspangled Rodeo
- 7g Teofilo (IRE) x Sunstyle (AUS) (Xaar (GB))
Tnr: Bjorn Baker Rdr: Brodie Loy 56
14
10.1
Soami
- 5g So You Think (NZ) x Longoria (AUS) (Lujain (USA))
Tnr: M J Dunn Rdr: S Guymer 55
15
10.4
Cuban Royale
- 7g Casino Prince (AUS) x Cuban Girl (AUS) (Hemingway (IRE))
Tnr: R & L Price Rdr: Jean Van Overmeire 54
16
10.5
Northernero
- 5g Kaphero (AUS) x Bazaruto (AUS) (Northern Meteor (AUS))
Tnr: D J McCarthy Rdr: Ms W Costin 54
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