Universal Ruler sired a winning double at Ascot last Wednesday and he has several chances for more midweek celebrations at Pinjarra this Wednesday.
The Scenic Lodge stallion and trainer Adam Durrant can combine with Romantic Ruler in Race 1 and Jeanella who is coming off a running double at Geraldton in Race 5.
Here For Cheques won the first-leg of the Universal Ruler double last week for Hopeland trainer Bernie Miller and a syndicate that includes his breeders Anthony Jardim and Jason Abreu.
The lightly-raced 3yo settled well back behind front-runner Bonnie The Ruler (Universal Ruler) in a slowly-run TABtouch Maiden (1400m) before spearing through a gap in the straight to score narrowly from the favourite Nyet (Russian Revolution).
Here For Cheques is the first foal from Lob City (Vital Equine) who won at Ascot and Belmont. Jardim and Abreu retained his 2yo half-sister Rose Moon (Bradbury’s Luck) and his yearling half-brother by Long Leaf that didn’t make a $75,000 reserve at last month’s Perth Magic Millions.
Fellow Hopeland trainer Takahide Ikenushi won the second leg at Ascot with Village Girl in the Crown Perth Hcp (1400m). Galloping low to the ground for Lucy Warwick, the 3yo filly took advantage of the cutaway to defeat Finchy (King’s Troop) and Vast Art (Flying Artie).
Village Girl and her winning connections at Ascot (Photo / Western Racepix)
It was Village Girl’s third win in 8 starts for Scenic Lodge’s Caroline Gammage. Her dam Amber Dream (Orientate) is a half-sister to LR Belmont Guineas winner Cohort (Scenic).
Gammage sold her Universal Ruler full-brother I Had A Dream to Rhys Radford for $36,000 at last year’s Perth Magic Millions. Amber Dream’s most recent cover was to Snippetson in September.
Ikenushi hasn’t missed a beat since transferring from a career in the saddle that garnered over 450 wins in Australia. He has a 24% winning strike-rate this season which is the best among the Top 20 trainers in WA.
Trading under Ike Racing, he purchased a Snippetson – Zany Lady filly for $35,000 from Scenic Lodge in the Swan Valley last month. Another buy was the Universal Ruler – Secait colt from Cape Falls Thoroughbreds for $22,500.
