Raise The Flag's Etah James Too Strong in Pakenham Cup

Mark Smith - Saturday December 7

After 21 months in the wilderness, the 7-year-old Raise The Flag (GB) mare Etah James was given the chance to showcase her superior staying powers in Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m).

The Matt Cumani-trained mare was given a positive ride by apprentice Fred Kersley who stood high in the irons over the last 50 metres to celebrate his first stakes success.

After tracking the freewheeling Runaway to the turn, Etah James hit the line strongly to defeat the favourite Secret Blaze (Sizzling) by one and a half lengths with Midterm (GB) (Galileo) three-quarter of a length back in third.

Part-owned and bred by her original trainer in New Zealand, Mark Lupton, Etah James advances her record to 7 wins and 2 seconds from 26 starts with earnings of $455,971.

Lupton and his wife, Cath, bred and race Etah James with friends Gary Howes and Terry Reid.

She had been winless in 15 starts since capturing the Group III Lord Reims Stakes at Morphettville in March last year.

The sire of Etah James, Raise The Flag (GB), sure can sire a stayer.

The White Robe Lodge resident is a half-brother to Dansili by  Sadler’s Wells out of the Broodmare of the Year Hasili, the dam of five Group 1 winners including Group 1 Breeder’s Cup winning sisters Banks Hill (Danehill) and Intercontinental (Danehill).

Raise The Flag (GB) was in the spotlight recently as the sire of the first two home in the $300,000 Jericho Cup as noted by the Cumani representative Andrew Bobbin.

Advertisement

“She might even find herself in a Jericho,” Bobbin said.

“I know it’s a long way off, but she is a New Zealand-bred and even though she would be an 8yo mare, it would be some sort of performance, but she is by Raise a Flag who went one-two in the race last week so that would be right up her alley if we can keep her going that long.”

Bobbin said that Fred Kersley went out with a plan to make it a real staying test.

“He (Kersley) said Runaway was not going to get anything cheap and I’m going to make a real race of it," Bobbin revealed.

“If you look back at the Sandown Cup, at the corner it looked like she was gone but she came again to be beaten only by 1.4 (lengths).

“That’s our Bagot horse there. If you look at her now she is still a bit pretty around the girth and she might need another run before then.”

Etah James is the best of four winners from as many to race out of the Danasinga mare Etah who is a sister to the dual Group III winner Tickle.

Etah has a 2yo colt by Alamosa and was covered by Raise The Flag (GB) again last year.

Advertisment

Race Result - Sportsbet Pakenham Cup LR 2500m

Pakenham Park Track: Good(3) Time: 2:38.33
1
Etah James
- 7m Raise The Flag (GB) x Etah (NZ) (Danasinga (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Fred W Kersley 54
2
1.5
Secret Blaze
- 4g Sizzling (AUS) x Abscond (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: L Currie 54
3
2.3
Midterm
- 7g Galileo (IRE) x Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: M & L Cerchi Rdr: Patrick Moloney 56.5
4
5.5
Valac
- 8g Dark Angel (IRE) x Polished Gem (IRE) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig Rdr: N Callow 54.5
5
6.2
Carzoff
- 7g Zoffany (IRE) x Cartama (GB) (Mark Of Esteem (IRE))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: B Melham 60
6
6.4
Chapada
- 4g Bullet Train (GB) x Diamantina Dior (AUS) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: J Winks 55.5
7
6.8
Savvy Oak
- 4g Savabeel (AUS) x Fairy Oak (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: M J Dee 54
8
12.3
Creedence
- 5g Helmet (AUS) x Boracay (AUS) (Red Ransom (USA))
Tnr: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig Rdr: C J Parish 54
9
13.8
Bondeiger
- 8h War Pass (USA) x Debutante Robe (JPN) (Admire Vega (JPN))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: D Dunn 54.5
10
15.6
Rakau Whero
- 5g Redwood (GB) x Raining Monarch (AUS) (Royal Academy (USA))
Tnr: Craig Anderson Rdr: Damien Thornton 54
11
21.6
Runaway
- 5r Manhattan Rain (AUS) x Catshaan (AUS) (Catrail (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: Zac Spain 57
12
26.6
Maracaibo
- 4m Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Spanish Lake (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 54
13
46.6
Serenade The Stars
- 6g Sea The Stars (IRE) x Silent Serenade (GB) (Bertolini (USA))
Tnr: Peter Gelagotis Rdr: Liam Riordan 54
More Reading...
Kiwi Cup Contender Headed to Australia
Melbourne Cup aspirant Trav secured his plane ticket across the Tasman with a pleasing performance over 2100m at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Tara Talks Racing - Trials and Racing
This week we’re talking trials after an insightful set of official 2YO trials in Sydney, plus some racing and how Fangirl will eventually go to stud with two Group I wins less on her resume than there should be.
Career Best Victory for Wentwood Grange Favourite Yearling
Dean Hawkins admits to shedding a tear or two when With Your Blessing was sold as a yearling.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 7 – 9
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.
One to Watch – Warrnambool
So You Think is the first sire to hit 40 winners for the season and he did it with a three year-old filly that won easily on debut at Warrnambool on Monday in the Kia Ora Stud colours.
2025 National Thoroughbred Week Launched
National Thoroughbred Week, the newly launched industry initiative designed to bring the public closer to the thoroughbred and our sport, is excited to confirm a truly trans-Tasman exposure, with hosts confirmed across all Australian and New Zealand regions.
Home Affairs 2YOs Shine at Official Sydney Trials
I Am Invincible’s exciting young sire son Home Affairs was the talk of the town after the yearling sales this year when his progeny topped both Magic Millions and Inglis Easter and at Randwick on Monday morning he had two runners at the official 2YO trials and both of them came out winners.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 22
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Breednet Follow the Official Sydney 2YO Trials - 4-6
All 2YO heats this morning run at Randwick over 850m with these trials the key factor in deciding fields for the Group III ATC Breeders Plate and Gimcrack Stakes in two weeks time.