Racetrack Rogue Makes Good

Showjumping takes centre stage this week in the equestrian world with the annual Jumping NSW Summer Classic at Sydney International Equestrian Centre featuring some of the best horses and riders in the country including a remarkable thoroughbred that has gone from barred racetrack rogue to jumping star.

10 year-old Bradbury's Luck gelding Kilwinning Luck had a modest racing career winning two races and placing nine times from 25 starts earning a tick over $30,000 in prizemoney at far north Queensland tracks, most notably Rockhampton.

Twice barred for being unruly and ultimately barred for life after twice bleeding, Kilwinning Luck needed a new direction in life.

He was gifted by trainer Lyle Rowe and his wife and owner Patricia Rowe to young Queensland showjumping rider Nelson Smyth, whose father Kerrod is a thoroughbred breeder and trainer based at Laurel Glen Equine Centre at Alton Downs near Rockhampton.

Kilwinning Luck had his last race on June 8, 2013 and has spent the last five and a half years being quietly and steadily transformed by Nelson into superstar jumper Laurel Glen Lucky Time.

Nelson Smyth and Laurel Glen Lucky Time have had a productive year competing successfully at the top shows around the country in World Cup classes up to 1.50m in height.

See them in action this week at SIEC starting on Thursday in the 1.40 class in the Olympic Arena.

Another high profile thoroughbred making his debut at this elite show this week is our very own Lunar Rise, who now has our prefix of Daybreak Lunar Rise having been educated and re-schooled for jumping at Daybreak Farm this year by Jack and Jasmine Haynes.

'Lenny' was a $380,000 Inglis Easter yearling purchase for DGR Thoroughbreds and achieved fame and fortune on the track for the late Bart Cummings and Dai Tan Chin Nam winning the Group III VRC Carbine Club Stakes on Cup Day at Flemnington.

By Starcraft from the family of 2018 European Stayer of the Year Stradivarius, Lenny had his last race on September 23, 2017 and after a good spell joined our team in March of this year.

Lenny will be competing in the Thoroughbreds only class at 90cm on Wednesday with Jasmine Haynes on board and then will contest the restricted series 90cm – 1m over the remainder of the show for horses in their first year of competition.

Also starting in Wednesday's 90cm Thoroughbred class is Stryker Rose, who was bred and raced by Bred to Win's Caroline Searcy and also featured in the early stages of the popular Jump Off TV show when being schooled by Vicky Roycroft.

She will be ridden by Claudia Studdert.