Fine return from party visit

Local filly Kerany speeds away from her rivals to win for trainer Terry Kennedy and rider Shankar Muniandy at Wingatui yesterday. Photo: Jonny Turner
Local filly Kerany speeds away from her rivals to win for trainer Terry Kennedy and rider Shankar Muniandy at Wingatui yesterday. Photo: Jonny Turner
Wingatui trainer Terry Kennedy might be better served finding a 50th birthday to attend rather than going to next month's Karaka sales.

The trainer produced Kerany to brilliantly win her first start in 2yr-old company on her home track yesterday. Kerany jumped quickly for the barriers for rider Shankar Muniandy and simply never gave her rivals a look in.

Miroslava put in a much-improved performance to run second two lengths behind the winner, while the rest of the pack was a further five lengths away.

The horse came to Kennedy after he spotted her in a paddock full of yearlings when on a trip to Feilding.

''We were up there for [jockey] Robbie Hannam's 50th birthday and we went to have a look at some yearlings.''

Kennedy raced Kerany's dam, Sudders, who won one of her 16 starts.

The trainer has not made specific plans for his winner beyond yesterday's race. But with her impressive victory Kennedy is going to have line up some bigger targets in the autumn for his filly.

''I was only getting today over, really.''

''There is a listed race at Riccarton for her later on but she will go to the paddock now.

''She is a pretty smart horse - she did it easy.''

Kennedy will be in the Central Districts area next weekend with his good racemare, Princess Brook.

She left in good shape on Wednesday, heading to Palmerston North to race in next weekend's group 3 Manawatu Cup.

Princess Brook will stay under the watchful eye of former top rider Bruce Herd during her northern trip.

Yesterday, co-trainer Brian Anderton confirmed Patrick Erin would not line up in the race. Instead, Patrick Erin would start at Wingatui on Boxing Day as he progresses towards the Wellington Cup.

Kennedy played a small part in comeback rider Jason Laking's return to the winner's circle for the first time since the 2010-11 season yesterday.

Laking rode Frazzle to win race 6, which was sponsored by Kennedy's Carefree racing stables.

The rider was formerly apprenticed to Kennedy's father-in-law, Hec Anderton.

Laking doubled his comeback tally when he triumphed in race 9 on the Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong-trained Los Cabos.

Terry Kennedy featured in Laking's second win, too, by producing the runner-up, Aboli.

Laking, a group 1-winning rider, started his comeback trail to professional riding by working horses for both of his winning Riccarton trainers.

Earlier on the Wingatui card, the Kelvin Tyler-trained Promising turned around a terrible formline to win race 4.

The horse ran last at Cromwell earlier this month, but put that behind her, producing a big finish to prevail in a nail-biting finish over Alakazan.

Diorissimo carried similar form into race 7 in winning for apprentice jockey Corey Campbell

who also scored aboard Londonderry Air in race 5.

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