A WINNER - AND THEN OFF TO STUD

TUESDAY, September 6, 2022: A winner one day….and off to become a mum the next!

But she will race on for the time being once she is served this week by the unraced Fastnet Express, a son of champion stallion Fastnet Rock.

That’s the story with Hawkesbury mare Unearthed, who gave her trainer Blake Ryan a kick-start to the new season by scoring at Queanbeyan yesterday.

A superb Jamie Innes ride paved the way for the former Newcastle five-year-old to land the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1460m) against her own sex.

Unearthed ($8.50) burst clear in the straight at only her second start for her new trainer to score easily from White Liar ($15) and Kitty Karine ($17), posting the fourth win of her career.

The Written Tycoon mare, a daughter of nine-times winner (including the 2008 Group 2 The Shorts at Royal Randwick) Fritz’s Princess, was initially trained by Kris Lees, who also prepared her dam.

Owner Phil Pollicina decided to race her alone, and bought out co-owners when the mare was sold online through Inglis in June for $25,000.

“It was great to get a quick return for Mr Pollicina, who is a terrific supporter of our stable,” Ryan said this morning.

“Full credit to Jamie, who gave Unearthed a brilliant ride yesterday.

“He is a great mate of mine, and that was his first winner for me.

“Unearthed was scanned this morning, and will go on a float either this afternoon or in the morning to be served by Fastnet Express.

“She will come back to me later in the week, and I will try to win another race for her so that she becomes a free horse for Phil, repaying the $25,000 he outlaid to get her to breed from.”

Unearthed initially fetched $90,000 at the 2019 Inglis Classic yearling sale, and Ryan was thrilled to get “one up” on her previous trainer.

“Kris has just got a horse from me, so I’m happy to win a race with one I got from him,” he said.

Ryan, an experienced horseman, is in a busy period at present with 31 horses in work; a number of them which he is preparing for the breeze-ups at Warwick Farm and ultimately the Ready2Race sale at Riverside on October 11 (four days before the running of The Everest at Randwick).

And he has three acceptors (Power To Deceive, Critical Time and Yes You Think) at his home track meeting on Thursday.