Hidden Dragon's River Racer Powers Home in Glasshouse

Mark Smith - Saturday June 29

Saturday's $175,000 Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast was the final stakes race of the Queensland Winter Carnival and it was one for the locals.

The Les Ross-trained River Racer, a 5yo daughter of Lyndhurst Stud's veteran Danehill stallion Hidden Dragon, stormed home under Matt McGillivray to defeat the luckless favourite Niccanova (Nicconi) by one and three-quarter lengths with a short neck to dead heaters Platinum Angel (Snitzel) and Chapter and Verse (Rothesay) in third.

Ross revealed that he had a few choice words with McGillivray before the race.

"He came out with three girths and then he didn't come out and I had to send in to the jockeys room for him. I said to him I have a live chance here and you will muck it up," Ross told AAP.

"Then I said to him it was no wonder I didn't give him too many rides. But I will have to give him a lot more now."

River Racer had placed five times in stakes races before her breakthrough and Ross said it had given him a thrill to win for owner Leslie Ung, who had been a great supporter of his stable.

"River Racer has run in a lot of tough races and picked up $427,000 before today. So she goes past $500,000 now and it is because the owners wanted her to race in the best company."

Advertisement

"I could have won 15 races with her and not earned anything like that prize money."

Passed in when she failed to find a buyer willing to part with her $15,000 when offered by Lyndhurst Stud Farm at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, River Racer (pictured as a yearling ) advances her record to 5 wins, 6 seconds and 5 thirds from 35 starts with earnings of $528,525.

She is one of five winners from as many to race out of the Adelaide winning Royal Academy (USA) mare Royal Yangtze who had been purchased by Leslie Ung for $10,000 at the 2012 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Royal Yangtze has a yearling gelding by Sizzling and a weanling filly by Hidden Dragon. She was covered by the highflying Better Than Ready last spring.

River Racer becomes the 8th stakes-winner for Hidden Dragon who lines up for his 14th season at Lyndhurst Farm in 2019.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Inglis Ready 2 Race Entries Open
Entries for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale – Australasia’s most progressive 2YO Sale – are now open.
Breeding To Win - 2025 G1 Queensland Oaks
Unbeaten this preparation, Philia will be looking to emulate her half-sister Duais in winning the $1million Group I BRC Queensland Oaks (2200m) on Saturday, but a swarm of up and comers are nipping at her heels, so who are they?
New Winner for Bivouac
Godolphin have been  enjoying a winning run with their late season juveniles and it continued at Geelong on Thursday where Bivouac gelding Loving opened his account.
Another Day, Another Stakes-Winner for Wootton Bassett
A homebred for Marc Chan, quality Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Green Impact closed out his juvenile season winning the Group II Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and he bounced back into the winner’s list at the same venue overnight.
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 5
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
A Passion That Lasts a Lifetime
A passion for pedigrees and thoroughbreds is often one that lasts a lifetime and so it has been for one of the co-breeders of Bravery, who contacted me this week following our earlier and very well read story on current 2YO star Cool Archie.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
Hidden Dragon's Fiery Heights Earns a Magic Millions Wilcard
Never further back than second in his last six starts, six-year-old gelding Fiery Heights earned a maiden stakes win when leading all the way in Saturday’s Listed Falvelon Quality (1100m) at Doomben.