Classy mare Kenedna claimed her second Group 1 trophy with a dynamic win in the 2019 Group 1 $700,000 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben today.
Kenedna, above, is the winner of the 2019 Doomben Cup at Doomben. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Kenedna was the winner of the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Legacy Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Day Two of the Championships on April 13 but the then failed to handle the heavy track when ninth to Life Less Ordinary in the Group 2 $500,000 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 4.
Back on a better racing surface today and a gem of ride from Johnny Allen saw Kenedna ($10) stormed home to record a memorable win over Life Less Ordinary ($7.50) who came from second last at the 600m.
One of the outsiders of the field, $21 chance Sixties Groove, also thundered home to claim third prize just ahead of his Kris Lees trained stablemate Gem Song ($5 equal favourite).
Winning trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace acquired Kenedna from disqualified trainer Darren Weir who had had great success with the mare in the early part of her career.
“Credit to their team (Weir’s Team). A lot of their team are now a part of our team. Now she is a Group 1 winner,” Maher said.
“She has always been a high quality mare and I think she has just furnished and there was a plan set out for her and we just followed the plan and she has been very good.”
Jockey Corey Brown took Archedemus ($7.50) to the front as predicted and the Gwenda Markwell trained front runner set a fairly solid tempo which resulted with the sixteen field being spread out over many lengths along the back and down the side of the track.
Archedemus led well into the straight but found the task too telling and faded in the run to the line to wind up in eighth position, two and a half lengths from the winner.
At the finish Kenedna had three quarters of a length to spare over Life Less Ordinary with the fast finishing Sixties Groove a neck away in third spot, a half a length ahead of Gem Song.
Equal favourite Shillelagh ($5) made up some ground from the back fill sixth spot.
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