HOBBY TRAINER VELLA BACK IN CITY SPOTLIGHT
- John Curtis
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
Given a superb ride from an inside draw by Rachel King, Cosmeena ($21) defeated two other $21 chances Little Beginnings and Anthracite in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) at her first appearance since early May.
Owner-trainer Vella and his wife Barbara Anne run a duck farm at Londonderry, but he hasn’t been in the best of health.
He made the effort to get to Randwick yesterday and was rewarded when the four-year-old mare was too good for her rivals.
King had given her the run of the race on the fence behind the two leaders Mamushka and Little Beginnings before she took a gap in the straight and quickly put the issue beyond doubt.
The Vellas paid $6000 for the daughter of Cosmic Force from Rheinwood Pastoral Company at Moss Vale after they had inspected her in a paddock as a yearling.
Coupled with a BOBS bonus, she has now earned just over $205,000 from 18 starts which have yielded five wins and three placings.
“Cosmeena is a beauty, and has kept me going,” Vella said today.
“She has pulled up well, and hopefully we can win another race with her on the course proper at Randwick next month.
“That will depend on how much her benchmark rating of 72 before yesterday increases.”
Vella, who has only two horses in work (the other is rising three-year-old filly Manisha, who has raced only once so far), obviously doesn’t get the chance to often to be in the metropolitan limelight.
Cosmeena was his first city winner since Master Mondo scored over 1600m at a midweek meeting at Warwick Farm on April 15, 2015.
Surprisingly, he started at $26 that day even though he had won his previous two starts at the provincials (Kembla Grange and Hawkesbury).
Vella paid tribute to his trackwork rider Richard Cronin, who he says has been invaluable in Cosmeena’s progress.
“Richard is a very experienced trackwork rider, who has been associated with a number of leading Sydney stables and also rides some work for Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup,” he said.
“I can’t thank him enough for the help he gives me, and being a hobby trainer, I have learnt from him as well.
“Cosmeena was to have trialled at Rosehill Gardens a couple of weeks ago, but was balloted out.
“Then she was fifth emergency for a 1300m Benchmark 78 Handicap at Randwick last Saturday (won by So You Pence) and drew barrier 16, so I kept for yesterday’s race.”
Cosmeena’s starting price was generous considering she was runner-up to Bella Khadijah in a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m) at Hawkesbury’s Saturday metropolitan stand-alone meeting on May 2 before finishing seventh (beaten less than two lengths) in the $500,000 Listed The Coast (1600m) at Gosford a week later when a $151 bolter.
Vella’s victory with Cosmeena following Claire Lever’s success with Yes Siree at Bathurst a day earlier took the Hawkesbury training base’s number of winners this season to 178 (nine more than last year).
