Oakland Park stallion Sessions sired a treble at Geraldton on Wednesday and followed up with city winner Supersession at Belmont on Australia Day.
Sessions (Lonhro) is part a log-jam competing for second spot among our active stallions behind Playing God on the WA sires’ table this season. His fifth-crop juveniles have yet to surface and there are 86 live foals in the current yearling crop so time is on his side for a premiership push in years to come.
Supersession (Photo / Western Racepix) started an odds-on favourite for his second start in the TABtouch Hcp (1200m) at Belmont and the result was never in doubt once Lucy Warwick angled into a gap at the top of the straight.
The 3yo gelding had come from last to fill a place on debut earlier this month for trainer Adam Durrant and a partnership managed by his breeder John Blackburn.
“That was a very encouraging run first-up and he’s trained on well since then,” stable spokesman Jason Miller said. “It was a 10 out of 10 ride by Lucy and the race unfolded our way. With natural improvement, he’s a nice horse in the making.”
Supersession’s dam Talk Of Angels (Rock Of Gibraltar) won a Geelong 2yo maiden for Peter Moody before transferring west to add another half-dozen victories in the Great Southern for Durrant and Paul Hunter. Second-dam Mary Lavelle (O’Reilly) was a Stakes-winning 2yo in New Zealand’s South Island.
“There wasn’t much speed today and I didn’t want to get caught in traffic,” Warwick reported. “That’s why we hit the front way too early. He got a bit lost so far out but he’s a professional and does whatever you ask.”
Durrant had opened the Sessions treble at Geraldton when Ihts Closing Inn won a 3yo maiden on the bridle for Oakland Park. Her dam Ihtsatune (Ihtiram) is a full-sister to G1 Kingston Town Classic winner Ihtsahymn.
Taunton Vale-bred gelding Three Sessions then fought back to score a gutsy victory for trainer Barry Newnham and jockey Peta Edwards before Passport won with ears pricked for owner-breeder Graeme Hammarquist and jockey Victoria Corver.
