Scone next stop for speedy Sunrise

An undefeated start to her campaign has earned Sunrise a black-type opportunity.

SUNRISE winning the MIDWAY HANDICAP at Randwick in Australia.
SUNRISE winning the MIDWAY HANDICAP at Randwick in Australia. Picture: Bradley Photos

Patience and perseverance are paying dividends for connections of filly Sunrise after she backed up a track record-breaking win at Kembla Grange with another sustained display of speed at Randwick.

Trained by Mitchell Beer, Sunrise scorched the turf first-up to break the 1000m course record at her home track, earning herself a trip to town for Saturday's Midway Handicap (1100m).

Making the running for Rachel King, Sunrise ($1.80 fav) again showed her rivals a clean pair of heels, scooting further ahead in the straight to win by 2-3/4 lengths over Oakfield Badger ($8.50) with another long head to Everyone's A Star ($5.50) in third.

Originally from New Zealand, Sunrise was purchased for $45,000 at last year's Magic Millions Broodmare Sale and Beer said it had taken a full campaign in the spring to teach her how to harness her speed.

"I must thank the ownership group. Last preparation we knew how fast she was and we knew how good she was, but I said to them, 'she's not physically ready and not mentally ready'," Beer said.

"When we got her, all she wanted to do in her trackwork was bolt and she also wanted to go in her races.

"We had to bite the bullet and teach her to settle so we could do this."

Sunrise is now unbeaten in two starts this campaign and likely to be given a shot at the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone next month.

Beer did toy with testing her at black-type level in Queensland this weekend but decided Saturday's Randwick assignment was a more logical next step.

"I had her in a Listed race in Brisbane today and she drew thirteen and obviously this looked a far better option," he said

"But I might take her to Scone and give her a crack while she is still three, see if she is up to that level."

King praised Beer's training effort in teaching Sunrise to settle and said the filly came back to her beautifully mid-race, allowing her to kick strongly in the straight.

"I like the way I gave her a squeeze, but then mid-race she came back and got a couple of nice ones in there where I felt her take a couple of deep breaths and was able to get to the top of the rise quite comfortably.

"She feels like she will do better on a faster track. She is very genuine and very honest."


Racing and Sports

Randwick

Saturday, 26th April 2025

2
12:05
(local)

MIDWAY HANDICAP

Age: 3yo and up WT: 54.0kg Type: BM72
AUD $120,000
1100m TURF SOFT
2
12:05
(local)
AUD $120,000
1100m SOFT

MIDWAY HANDICAP

Age: 3yo and up WT: 54.0kg Type: BM72


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 10. SUNRISE (NZ) 3yo F
CHARM SPIRIT (IRE) - DAILY AT DAWN (AUS)
RACHEL KING
MITCHELL BEER
$1.8
56kg
JJJ Racing Sunrise,A Van Der Berg,T M Barclay,Colah Coast Racing(Mgr: M A Bowman),M S Sanders,L T Allen, P J Seary,R Mckinnon,S A Latter,The Combine(Mgr: J Rodda),A W Marsh,M Avis,D A McIlveen, MissS M Langfield,Mrs C Walton,S A Newman,P J Hawketts,K Wyld,J McKinnon &Stone Cold Racing

Sales Information

2nd 2. OAKFIELD BADGER (AUS) 5yo G
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - COUNT YOUR MONEY (AUS)
JASON COLLETT
KRISTEN BUCHANAN
$8.5
59kg
B Mackenzie

Sales Information

3rd 7. EVERYONE'S A STAR (AUS) 5yo M
STAR TURN (AUS) - PIETRA (AUS)
ADAM HYERONIMUS
MARC CHEVALIER
$5.5
57kg
Dr U Crosson, S N Allison, T Crosson, Miss E Crosson, Miss A Crosson, E Stewart, Miss H R Stewart, R Stewart, J Englebrecht & M Chevalier

Sales Information

4th 8. MAD DARCEY (AUS) 6yo M
WINNING RUPERT (AUS) - MISS DARCEY (AUS)
JAY FORD
DAVID PFIEFFER
$11
56.5kg

Sales Information

5th 12. EXPLOSIVE TORPIDO (AUS) 5yo M
SUPIDO (AUS) - TSWALU (AUS)
ZAC WADICK
DAVID PFIEFFER
$13
52kg

Sales Information

6th 9. STARROS (AUS) 5yo G
STAR WITNESS (AUS) - CORROSION (AUS)
BRAITH NOCK
TERRY CROFT
$16
54.5kg

Sales Information

7th 1. FIELDING (AUS) 6yo G
DEEP FIELD (AUS) - EN AMONT (NZ)
ANNA ROPER
DAMIEN LANE
$31
56kg

Sales Information

8th 4. ANGARA (AUS) 5yo G
FRANKEL (GB) - FIRE OPAL (USA)
ALYSHA COLLETT
PAUL PERRY
$20
58.5kg

Sales Information