No Cause for Concern in Damien Oliver Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday November 4

 The first emergency Cause For Concern took his place in Saturday’s Group II The Damien Oliver (1400m) at Flemington, following the scratching of Zoutori, and he made the most of it.

Cause For Concern powers to victory (image Grant Courtney)

Making it a double on the day for Jamie Kah, the Shawn Mathrick-trained son of Worthy Cause launched late to defeat the Casino Prince gelding Bandersnatch by a neck with the Dark Angel gelding Munhamek (GB) the same distance back in third.

With his stakes breakthrough, Cause For Concern advances his record to five wins, a second and two thirds from 13 starts, with earnings of $592,240.

Advertisement

“If I read one more time ‘oh this horse has been up for a long time’, I’ll go off the West Gate, I tell ya,” Mathrick said.

“This horse is flying. Last start he got pushed off the track. The start before Benny probably pushed the button too early and he got flattened.

“I’ve had big wraps on this horse since we’ve had him, and today he was the real deal.

“I said to Jamie, if you jump and you’re midfield, don’t panic. You can give weight, don’t give ground so she said she’ll get a beautiful run from there.

“I thought we were going to be a bad luck story in the straight, but God, she’s a brilliant rider.

“I couldn’t care about me, it’s the horse. I love the animal. We’ve been raving about him for a long time and I reckon we’ve copped flack for it.”

A hombred for the Lidstone and Grace families, Cause For Concern is the only named foal of the Fastnet Rock mare Rock Paper Scissors.

A 4-time winner, Rock Paper Scissors is a daughter of the Spinning World (USA) mare Axis, a half-sister to Group II MRC Winning Edge Presentations Stakes and Group III Hobart Cup winner Growl and dual Listed winner Leeu.

Cause For Concern is the second stakes winner for Clear Mountain Fairview stallion Worthy Cause, whose cause has been championed by the Group 1 Surround Stakes heroine Hinged.

A Group III winning son of Choisir, Worthy Cause stands for $5,500 and covered a career high 62 mares last spring.

A great way to end Derby day (image Grant Courtney)

Advertisment

Race Result - The Damien Oliver Gr2 1400m

Flemington Track: Good(3) Time: 1:22.35
1
Cause For Concern
- 4g Worthy Cause (AUS) x Rock Paper Sissors (NZ) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Shawn Mathrick Rdr: Jamie Kah 53
2
0.3
Bandersnatch
- 7g Casino Prince (AUS) x Divine Faith (AUS) (Falbrav (IRE))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Jordan Childs 57
Casino Prince
3
0.6
Munhamek
- 8g Dark Angel (IRE) x Cadenza (FR) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: Nick Ryan Rdr: B Shinn 55.5
4
0.8
Tamerlane
- 6g Golden Horn (GB) x Wordcraft (GB) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J B Mc Donald 56.5
5
1.0
Here To Shock
- 6g Shocking (AUS) x Frescoes (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: D W Stackhouse 54.5
6
1.1
Vilana
- 5h Hallowed Crown (AUS) x Retsina (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: D Oliver 59
7
1.6
Ayrton
- 6g Iffraaj (GB) x Odessa (NZ) (Falkirk (NZ))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M Zahra 56.5
8
1.7
King Magnus
- 8g Magnus (AUS) x Influential Miss (AUS) (Carnegie (IRE))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 57.5
9
1.8
Lord Vladivostok
- 7g Tavistock (NZ) x Soviet Lu (NZ) (Soviet Star (USA))
Tnr: Michael Hickmott Rdr: Teodore Nugent 53
10
2.3
Swords Drawn
- 8g Camelot (GB) x Sarvon (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Ms W Costin 53.5
11
3.0
Jack The Lad
- 6g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Luluoru (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: W F Francis & G Kent Rdr: J Potter 53
12
3.5
Not An Option
- 6g Not A Single Doubt (AUS) x Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: W Egan 55
13
3.6
Savannah Cloud
- 6g Savabeel (AUS) x Annie Higgins (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: Zac Spain 54.5
14
3.9
Williamsburg
- 4h Snitzel (AUS) x Fenway (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: Rachel King 53
15
4.6
Kalino
- 5g Pierro (AUS) x Lanikai (AUS) (I Am Invincible (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
16
8.3
Corner Pocket
- 7g Toronado (IRE) x Baize (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: L Smith Rdr: Declan Bates 56
More Reading...
Sires Pack Profitable Punch at Weanling Sale
There are many members of New Zealand’s stallion ranks whose progenies racetrack results far exceed their service fee.  Next month’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka is an ideal opportunity for traders and end users to secure the progeny of these creditable sires.
King’s Legacy Filly Wins by Three
The Lindsay Park team produced an impressive juvenile winner at Pakenham on Thursday evening with King’s Legacy filly Bella Pietra winning as she pleased.
Sires With Winners - Thursday May 29
Here is the full list of 41 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Investing in Fillies Can Pay Big Dividends
We saw it earlier this month at Inglis Chairman’s Sale and we saw it again this week, purchasing yearling fillies that can perform to a high level has the potential to yield a big pay day in the sale ring, so let’s take a closer look.
Juvenile Trial Watch - Rosehill
Trials this morning at Rosehill were run on a heavy 9 so horses were well held together and not asked for too much, but there were still a couple of intriguing unraced heat winners by Extreme Choice and Justify (USA), plus we got another look at the $1.4million Wootton Bassett (GB) colt from Sunlight.
Newhaven Park Confirm 2025 Fees
One week after Newhaven Park bred, raised and sold Cool Archie recorded his second successive juvenile stakes race victory in the Group 2 Spirit of Boom Classic at Doomben, Newhaven Park stud principal John Kelly has confirmed the 2025 service fees for the first-crop 2-year-old’s sire Cool Aza Beel (NZ), as well as the farm’s two associate stallions Xtravagant (NZ) and Mo’Unga&nb
Expensive Ghaiyyath Colt Wins Stakes
Darley shuttler Ghaiyyath (IRE) had his first Australian winner earlier this week and overnight produced a new stakes-winner in the UK where Godolphin owned colt Opera Ballo won the Listed Heron Stakes (1m)at Sandown.
Little Avondale’s Weanlings Follow Successful Footsteps
Graduates of Little Avondale Stud’s drafts at the NZB National Weanling Sale have a proud record of racetrack success, and stud principal Sam Williams believes his class of 2025 compares favourably with previous years.
Breeding To Win - 2025 G1 Queensland Derby
It’s been 15 years since Dariana thumped the colts to win the Queensland Derby (2400m) in 2010 and maybe it’s time for another filly to triumph!
Verry Exciting Weekend Looms
New Zealand horseman Nicholas Bishara will cross the Tasman this weekend to watch his filly Belle Detelle, a three-quarter sister to his ill-fated 11-time Group One Verry Elleegant, contest the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m).