Owner delighted with Onerous

Dash For Cash sprinter Onerous has made a one-act affair of his return to racing in the Tour of Victoria Hcp (1109m) at Seymour.

The three year-old grey colt started well in the red on Thursday and never gave favourite punters a moment’s worry in running.  He cruised past the leaders at the top of the straight and coasted home to score by more than two lengths under Dwayne Dunn.

“He came back from a spell and trialled well at Werribee,” Dunn said.  “I knew he would be hard to beat today.  The further he goes, the better.”

Onerous (3c Dash For Cash – Amoroso by Revoque) blitzed a Bendigo maiden field on debut in August and then stepped straight up to Group 2 company in the Danehill Stakes at Flemington.  “He was very green down the straight,” Dunn recalled.  “That behaviour bewildered us – he shouldn’t have done that much wrong.”

Trainer John  Hawkes tipped him out after a disappointing midfield finish behind Rich Enuff and he returned off a 100 day break at Seymour.

Onerous races for a syndicate headed by Daleigh Park manager Steve Lester.  “He’s a younger brother to Arinosa and John reckons he’s heading the same direction,” the delighted owner-breeder said.  “She was still maturing as a three year-old and then took off winning 7 of her next 10 starts.”

Arinosa was rated Australia’s most improved mare in 2012-13 after graduating from a Benchmark 75 win at Canterbury to Group 2 victories in the Premiere Stakes and Sapphire Stakes at Randwick.

Lester owns their dam Amoroso and she foaled a Dash For Cash colt in September.

Dash For Cash relocated to Scenic Lodge last year where he stands alongside WA champions Blackfriars and Universal Ruler.  His first Sunspeed book comprised upwards of 50 mares at a $7,700 (inc gst) fee.

Career-best signal from Blackfriars

Blackfriars is on track to equal career-best figures at stud after Black Heart Bart’s victory in the LR Summer Scorcher (1000m).

The Scenic Lodge champion has sired 4 stakes winners of 6 stakes races with more than half the racing year remaining.  His most successful season in the black-type department was in 2011-12 when he was represented by 8 winners of 12 races.

Black Heart Bart (4g Blackfriars – Sister Theresa by At Talaq) led home another feature quinella for his sire at the summer carnival.  He turned the tables on class act Shining Knight who had beaten him in the LR Crawford Stakes on December 13.

“He’s just a very talented horse who hits the line strongly,” trainer Vaughn Sigley said.  “We’re still learning what’s best – he loves these short sprints while fresh and I think he will eventually get out to a mile.”

Black Heart Bart was part of a Blackfriars double at Ascot on New Year’s Day following Pants On Friar in the NYD Event Hcp (2200m).

It would have been three if London Line had been awarded Race 1.  The Blackfriars filly was hampered shortly after the start and flew home to be beaten a long-head by Puteri Jewel in the Westspeed 2YO Plate.  Trainer Dan Morton lodged a protest and was livid when stewards dismissed the objection.

Morton and Scenic Lodge owner David Smith also finished second in the G2 Perth Cup with Red Blast.  He had won the LR Boulder Cup earlier this season before finding one better in the G2 C B Cox Stakes and G2 Perth Cup.

Red Blast (Universal Prince) had no excuses behind top mares Elite Belle and Real Love but pencil him in as a long-range prospect for the 2016 Perth Cup.