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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."

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"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.

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