Kris Lees stable favourite Motspur has defied his age to score back-to-back wins in the Listed Prydes EasiFeed Quality Handicap to round out this year’s two-day Scone Cup carnival.
Motspur, who returned to Lees’ stable after a stint in Tasmania, scored the 12th win of his career and broke his own race record which he set last year in the 1100m event.
Kris Lees stable favourite Motspur has defied his age to score back-to-back wins in the Listed Prydes EasiFeed Quality Handicap. - Photo by Steve Hart
The nine-year-old defeated Stratana and Sutton Queen in a driving finish with Skytrain a desperately unlucky fourth after being badly held up until the 50m mark.
“He’s just a marvel and this is a very satisfying win,” Lees said.
“He’s a real stable favourite. We’ve had him since he was two. He has been away a couple of times and come back. He hasn’t won for 12 months since this race last year so it’s great to win today.”
Lees said Motspur had broken his shoulder on three occasions which forced him to spend plenty of time on the sidelines.
“That has probably put a couple of years onto his career,” Lees said.
The victory of Motspur gave Blake Shinn his first winner over the two days of racing at Scone.
Shinn starts a six week suspension on Monday after he was found guilty of improper riding in a race at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Stewards deemed Shinn placed fellow jockey Brenton Avdulla in danger on two occasions when he directed his mount inwards and made heavy contact with Avdulla’s mount.
Shinn elected not to appeal the ban.
“I copped the suspension on the chin and I’ll just work really hard to come back bigger and better than ever,” Shinn said.
Shinn will be joined on the sidelines by Brazilian-born jockey Diego Lima who was suspended for a month for interference caused in the opening race on Saturday.
It was Lima’s eighth suspension in the past 11 months and chief steward Ray Murrihy said the jockey must go before the Racing NSW licensing committee for review on July 1.
Dale Spriggs was suspended for four meetings for careless riding in the same race. It was his first suspension for almost two years during which he has had 1200 rides.
