One to Watch – Gosford

Tara Madgwick - Friday August 29

He’s big and beautiful and it looks like the patient approach might be about to pay off for this talented I Am Invincible four year-old who won on debut at Gosford on Friday.

Trained by Bryce Heys, Banjora was gelded and given time to mature with his first ever barrier trial coming in July followed by his second at the start of August when he won a heat at Warwick Farm with Zac Lloyd in the saddle.

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Lloyd was keen to stick with Banjora for his debut in the 1100m maiden and was rewarded when the gelding packed too much of a punch for race favourite Extractor, who was stakes placed last season at two. Banjora kicked on strongly to win by three-quarters of a length.

“He has always been showing us a lot, but we have had to be extra patient with him,” said Bryce Heys.

“We thought he'd run pretty well today, but I was still was a little bit nervous about bringing a big horse like him to Gosford, just with programming and the weather, we were of forced to kick him off here today and it was good.”

Banjora was a $400,000 Inglis Easter purchase.

A $400,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Ellerslie Lodge Racing Stables / B Heys from the Lustre Lodge draft, Banjora is the second winner from well bred O’Reilly mare Veravarti (NZ), a winning half-sister to Group I winner Sharvasti and Group winners Shastri and Bhandara.

It’s a quality Kiwi Black Type family noted for it’s quality sprinter milers and Banjora certainly fits the profile of a horse that will only get better as he steps up a little in trip.

“He’s a very big horse, so I just wanted to let him fill into himself. He was always showing something and we could have got pretty itchy early on, but I knew when we bought him he was just such a big horse that we were probably going to have to geld him,” Heys added.

“He's a real quality physical and hopefully everyone in the team can stay patient and he'll repay them.”

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Race Result - Hudson Trade Centre Mitre 10 Mdn Plate 1100m

Gosford Track: Soft(6) Time: 1:04.44
1
Banjora
- 4g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Veravarti (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Bryce Heys Rdr: Zac Lloyd 59
Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale $400,000
Seller: Lustre Lodge, Alison
Buyer: Ellerslie Lodge Racing Stables / B Heys
2
0.7
Extractor
- 3c Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Assertory (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Freedman Rdr: Tommy Berry 56.5
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $300,000
Seller: Eureka Stud, Cambooya, Qld (As Agent)
Buyer: Gandharvi Pty Ltd/Michael Freedman Racing
3
1
Benevac
- 3g Bivouac (AUS) x Houston Benefactor (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Tim Clark 56.5
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $140,000
Seller: Segenhoe Stud, Scone, NSW (As Agent)
Buyer: Dynamic Syndications/Dean Watt Bloodstock
4
3.7
Banknote Hustler
- 3g Capitalist (AUS) x Torvill (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: Tyler Schiller 56.5
5
4.4
Kissavos
- 3g I Am Invincible (AUS) x Gotta Kiss (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: R J Quinton Rdr: A Adkins 56.5
6
8.3
Deluce
- 3g Deep Field (AUS) x Luce (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 56.5
7
9.9
Cosmora
- 4h Dubious (AUS) x Illicit Love (AUS) (Eurozone (AUS))
Tnr: Peter D Green Rdr: Ms L Day 59
8
10.4
He Is A Star
- 3g D'argento (AUS) x Songstar (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Ms K Gavenlock Rdr: Mollie Fitzgerald 54.5
9
11.5
Alexios
- 3c Saxon Warrior (JPN) x Kokomo (AUS) (Choisir (AUS))
Tnr: P M Perry Rdr: A B Collett 56.5
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