By Ray Hickson
Cloud nine has been trainer Denim Wynen’s address for the past couple of weeks since her breakthrough city win and she’d like to think Sunshine Law and Monkhana can keep the good times rolling at Rosehill on Saturday.
Trainer Denim Wynen (Pic: Bradley Photos).
On a cold and wet day it was Wynen’s milestone with Sunshine Law winning first-up that lit up the meeting and while training horses is often more lows than highs she says it’s a feeling she could easily get used to.
The mother of two, her children are 11 and eight, says training her small team of around half a dozen or so at Wyong is her happy place and to have success with a new horse made it even better.
“It was a pretty exciting day and getting them ready to go again is the fun part,’’ Wynen said.
“I’m a full-time mum as well so to do both just keeping the small number is good. It’s my peace and quiet.
“My son comes in and helps me a lot but when I need my quiet time that’s where I go.
“I still couldn’t believe it a week on, I’m still getting phone calls saying congratulations. I haven’t had any phone calls offering me a horse yet.
“But I’ve got good owners who support me and I’ve got enough horses to keep me going.”
Wynen knew quickly that she’d been handed a city class horse in Sunshine Law, who was formerly with Annabel and Rob Archibald, so for her to win first-up, as surreal as it was, didn’t surprise.
So it’s now up to her to back it up, with 3kg more, in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1400m) but Wynen said staying in the same grade is a plus.
“From the day she came to my barn I said to the owners she’ll go straight to town,’’ she said.
“Off her form I didn’t have provincial on my mind for her which is quite a big thing for me.
“It’d been my goal for a while to win in town, just a midweeker, and to win a Saturday race I was really proud of myself.
“She’s a big mare so I’m not too worried about going up in weight. A few of the horses she beat last time are in it and I thought they had every opportunity to beat her.
“It’ll be a good test to see where she’s at.”
The important question is how much did that win on a very heavy track take out of Sunshine Law and Wynen’s view is she handled it quite well.
“It didn’t flatten her that’s for sure,’’ she said.
“She had her last bit of pacework on Tuesday and came back from the pool very much on her toe so she’s ready to rock and roll I hope.
“I gave her an easy time between runs, she’s licked her feed clean every day since she raced.
“You won’t know until you get to the races but I don’t think it has worried her. A mile would have been ideal but after that 1400m on a very heavy track first-up I don’t think another 1400m will bother her.”
There was so much merit in Monkhana’s first-up run at the same meeting that Wynen is quietly confident she could go one better in the Midway Handicap (1500m).
A squeeze at the start cost her valuable position in running and she said the mare’s effort to claim second behind Cold Brew was exciting and, like Sunshine Law, she’s taken no harm from the run.
“When they jumped she was banged from either side and she was meant to be a few pairs handier than she was,’’ she said.
Sunshine Law wins at Rosehill on August 2
“Hopefully we can be a bit handier this week and she can be right there ready to pounce.
“She’s bounced back really well, she’s not a big mare and I thought she dug in deep.
“I thought it’s no harder than that last Midway and she has the run under her belt now.”
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting