Scott Darby says Scarlet Rain's return to the winner's stall was a sweet reward for the syndicated owners who had shown faith in the filly during her recovery from an unusual surgery.
To the public, Scarlet Rain has always looked impressive, including on her winning return at Rosehill on Saturday. But this a filly which, in many cases would have been lost to the track.
The owners turned down a big offer to retire the filly to stud after she won the Sweet Embrace Stakes as a two-year-old. They chose to persist with her and they got their rewards. But she had to have a tie-forward surgery, which effectively moves the larynx forward to open the airway, and then had to start her racing education again.
"She couldn't breathe and that's what happened in the Golden Slipper when she ran last," said Darby, whose company put towards the syndicate.
"She was getting very nervous because of the condition when she went to the races, so after the spring she had the surgery and Gai Waterhouse and the team have had to start again with her."
The Waterhouse team has built Scarlet Rain's confidence back up, took the blinkers off her and have her ready again for a black-type campaign.
"Basically, it was like starting her off as a baby again and the big thing was to get her to relax. That's why she had the three trials and all the gear came off her," Darby said
"To get that result is great for the owners because they love her and backed her ability. Now we can look forward to the Light Fingers Stakes in a couple of weeks."
Surgery for lucky Panya
Deanne Panya is recovering from her fall at Rosehill on Saturday and is very lucky to have broken only her left collarbone and suffer a cut to her chin, which requires plastic surgery.
When Panya fell from the Gary Portelli-trained Sebring Express, she appeared to be propelled forward by its back leg and was motionless on the track.
"It just looked horrible," Portelli said. "It was one of those times where you just are hoping for the best. It is good to hear she is not more badly injured."
Panya remains in Westmead hospital and is likely to have surgery on the gash to her chin this week but is expected to make a full recovery.
Loophole closing
The loophole which has allowed jockeys to ride for long periods on a stay of proceedings from NSW will be closed from Wednesday, with all appeals to be heard within nine days of a careless riding offence.
The backlog on appeals has become a problem, with jockeys on appeal often waiting more than a month to get a date with the panel. The issue came into focus when Glyn Schofield won the Victoria Derby on Prized Icon while fighting a careless riding suspension.
Opportunity knocks
Inglis is hoping its new Chairman's Sale will turn into a destination for Championships horses to be sold similar to the Goffs sale before Royal Ascot.
The Chairman's Sale will have two parts with the racing section to be held on March 30 before The Championships, selling shares in horses contesting group 1s. It will allow investors to buy into a horse ready to race in some of the biggest races within a week.
The second part will be broodmare and weanling sale held on April 7 at the conclusion of the Easter Sale.
Both will be premium sales with perhaps only 10 lots and maybe an opportunity to get into some of the biggest names and families in racing.
Champion sprinters on show
A couple of stars of the Hong Kong turf will be a feature at the first of two meetings in the Chinese Racing Festival at Randwick on Saturday.
Punters will be able to get photos with champion sprinters Star Witness and Lucky Nine, which will make their way from Living Legends to the meeting as part of the celebration for Chinese new year.
Lazarus' stocks rising
Australia's best horses Winx and Chautauqua will barrier trial at Rosehill on Tuesday but the best horse in the country at the moment might be harness sensation Lazarus.
The four-year-old is heading to Sydney for next month's Chariots Of Fire and maybe the Miracle Mile after adding another major win in the Victoria Cup on Saturday night.
He smashed the Melton track record to add to his record-breaking run in the New Zealand Cup last November taking his record to 21 wins from 25 starts.
The question is how fast can he go around the big track at Menangle?
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