Westspeed owner-breeder Andy Phelan has a second to none record in our staying ranks going all the way back to Perth Cup winners Ullyatt (1986) and Ros Reef (1995).
More recently, he’s raced G3 Strickland Stakes (2000m) winner Naughty By Nature (Trade Fair) and LR Bunbury South West Cup (2200m) winner Come Right Back (Toronado). The latter also won a Geraldton Cup (2100m) and five middle-distance events at Ascot earning $588,000 before bowing out in last year’s LR Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m).
Phelan and trainer Adam Durrant produced another promising stayer at Northam on Sunday when Age Of Grace won the Afgri Equipment Hcp (1600m). She looked the winner a long way out sitting one out and one back for Willie Pike but had to be ridden out in the closing stages to overhaul defiant front-running favourite Saulok (Santos).
Age Of Grace (4m So You Think – Zarenza by Zabeel) had been given time to find her feet after debuting as a summer 3yo at Bunbury in February. She was suspended by stewards for standing flat-footed at the start of a Pinjarra barrier trial the previous month and Durrant added blinkers before she finished that first prep with a Pinjarra maiden win over 2200m. That victory earned her a TBWA Winner Of The Week nomination on May 1.
Back in harness this season, she came from last to get within two lengths of Mississippi Dawn (Pierro) over 1400m at Bunbury last month and Pike stayed aboard when she stretched out another furlong second-up on Sunday in the Avon Valley.
A beautifully-bred mare, Age Of Grace carries the So You Think – Zabeel cross that has a 68% strike-rate headed by Sydney Group 1 winners Think It Over (George Ryder Stakes) and Nimalee (Queen Of The Turf Stakes) as well as Perth feature winners Midnight Blue (G2 Perth Cup) and Diamond Scene (LR ATA Stakes).
Phelan purchased her dam Zarenza through agent John Chalmers for $80,000 at the 2013 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from Glastonbury Farms. Age Of Grace is her fourth winner following Bring One Home (Toronado), Broadway Brenda (Manhattan Rain) and Burn One Down (Toronado).
Zarenza was pensioned in July and her final foal is a yearling filly by Nicconi. The bottom line traces directly to Irish-bred mare Benediction (Day Is Done) who foaled none other than Zabeel’s all-time champion Might And Power (NZ).
