Unheralded mare Arabian Rose has delivered Sunshine Coast trainer James Healy his first stakes win with a hometown victory in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra.
The mare was initially listed as third emergency when the final field was declared, and Healy faced an anxious wait before Arabian Rose gained entry into the race following scratchings.
“It has been the plan for a long time and when the ‘noms’ came out, I thought we were absolutely ‘none’,” Healy said.
“But the stars aligned.
“The Glasshouse is staying home, and we’ll go again next year.”
The win by Arabian Rose was particularly significant for jockey Tiffani Brooker, who had ridden the mare regularly early in her career before a self-admitted “bum steer” aboard the four-year-old at Caloundra in December last year.
However, instead of dwelling on the setback, Brooker dedicated herself to hard work to earn a return to the saddle, with her persistence paying off spectacularly in Saturday’s Glasshouse Handicap (1400m).
“I had to sit on the sidelines for a little bit after a bum steer last preparation,” Brooker stated.
“I had a bit of success on her early days, but I did my time, and I kept showing up.
“I thought at the end of the carnival, if she gets a light weight, I might be back on her, just keep showing up.
“James was a bit nervous before the race and I said, ‘don’t worry, I’ll give her her chance and if she’s good enough, she’ll win.”
Arabian Rose ($19) achieved precisely that, surging to the lead in the home straight and fighting on tenaciously for Brooker to narrowly defeat Cifrado ($12), with Anemacore ($12) securing third in a tight finish where less than a half-length separated the top three finishers.
Arabian Rose delivered a major upset for punters, offering odds of $19 with leading Aussie betting sites, while Cifrado and Anemacore both started at $12 after attracting attention across betting apps Australia.