Regimental Lass to contest Merson Cooper Stakes at Caulfield

Posted by RS NewsWire at 6:00pm on November 29th

Shawn Mathrick will be forgiven for feeling a little nostalgic when Regimental Lass carries his colours in Saturday’s $175,000 Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Caulfield.

They are the same colours Regimental Lass’s dam, Gig, carried for the second half of her racing career.

Regimental Lass is the first of Gig’s foals that has been in Mathrick’s care and the Cranbourne trainer is excited about chasing his maiden two-year-old winner with a daughter of one of his best-performed horses.

“This girl can really gallop,” he said.

“I don’t normally race two-year-olds, so it is a bit exciting.”

Regimental Lass is only the third named-foal and first to race for Gig, a 15-year-old daughter of Commands and the Encosta De Lago mare Busking who has had an unfortunate career in the breeding barn.

Mathrick, who bought the Darley-bred Gig for $61,000 at the end of her five-year-old season and prepared her to place in a Group 2 Lawrence Stakes and three Group 3 events, sold her for $300,000 at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Six years later, Mathrick reclaimed Gig, a half-sister to Doncaster Mile winner Happy Clapper, for just $40,000 at the 2021 Inglis Great Southern Broodmare Sale while carrying Regimental Lass.

Her only other named-foals have been Triolet (Brazen Beau) and National Disaster (National Defense), who both got to the trials but never raced.

Mathrick was intrigued by Gig’s record at stud and was keen to implement a tactic he suspected might cause a turnaround in fortunes for the bulky mare.

“Her feet were her problem and I’d actually said when I got rid of her, ‘make sure you keep bar shoes on her’,” Mathrick said.

“She’s a big, heavy mare and my father had said she wouldn’t carry foals with her feet in that condition if you just left her bare.

“Because she’s so heavy herself, her body wouldn’t let her carry them through. Whether that’s right or wrong (I don’t know), but that’s all we’ve done different.

“Now we’ve got her back we’ve put bar shoes on her and she just keeps spitting out foals.

“She’s got a colt, a Toronado foal, at foot and she’s back in-foal to Dundeel.”

Regimental Lass showed early on in the education process that she was a chance to get to the races early and an all-the-way 650m jumpout win at Cranbourne on November 13 prompted Mathrick to consider a start in the Merson Cooper Stakes.

A slick piece of work with Mathrick’s Group 2-winning stable star Cause For Concern convinced him she was worth a spot in the race.

“At home we’ve worked her with Cause For Concern and I said, ‘just sit a length off her and pick her up’, but he couldn’t pick her up,” Mathrick said.

“He’s not the best trackworker in the world, but that’s still a fair thing for a two-year-old.”

Regimental Lass has the services of Jordan Childs in the nine-horse Merson Cooper Stakes, in which she will start from barrier five.

More Racing News

Vein Girl impresses in rich Magic Millions The Debut win

Vein Girl has put herself in contention for next month’s $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic with a strong win on debut under lights at the Gold Coast’s first night meeting. The Chris and Corey Munce-trained Vein Girl was sent out the $3.50 favourite with betting sites in Friday night’s $250,000...

Dec 21st

Pallaton races into 2025 Golden Slipper contention

Pallaton has stamped himself as a two-year-old colt to watch heading into 2025 with an impressive debut win at Randwick. Trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Tommy Berry, Pallaton raced to a 2-3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Shinzo @ Coolmore Plate (1000m) and firmed to be among the early favourites in Golden Slipper...

Dec 21st

Arriving Home set to target the Magic Millions Guineas 2025

Trainer Bjorn Baker would love to get lightly raced filly Arriving Home into the Magic Millions Guineas next month after the three-year-old remained unbeaten with a tough win at Randwick. Stepping up from a midweek city maiden win at Warwick Farm on debut earlier this month into Saturday’s Petaluma Handicap (1300m) – a...

Dec 21st

Here To Shock gives Lindsay Park quinella in The Supernova

Ben, Will & Jd Hayes had the numbers two and three seed to knock off race-favourite Nadal in Saturday’s $1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham and did just that, with Here To Shock, ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, edging stablemate Arkansaw Kid in a thrilling stable quinella. Here To Shock ($4.60) trailed a strong...

Dec 21st

Goldman digs deep in the Pakenham Cup 2024

One time Melbourne Cup favourite, Goldman has notched up his fourth win in Australia, leading throughout to take the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) under Beau Mertens. Jumping an $8.50 chance, Goldman’s staying prowess was on show as he kicked back to deny Grand Pierro ($19) by a long head, with $3.30 betting site...

Dec 21st

The Kings horse Gilded Water wins at Randwick

Imported stayer Gilded Water has made it back-to-back victories in Australia and has given his owner, His Majesty King Charles III, a winner at Royal Randwick. The King’s racing manager John Warren was on track at Randwick on Saturday as the Ciaron Maher-trained Gilded Water raced to a convincing victory in the...

Dec 21st

Kevin Daffy happy to wait with Oh Too Good ahead of VOBIS Gold Bullion

Trainer Kevin Daffy says there is still plenty of time to chase the big league with his lightly-raced mare Oh Too Good. A winner of four of her seven starts with three runner-up finishes as well, Oh Too Hard runs in the VOBIS Gold Bullion (1400m) at Pakenham on Saturday. Daffy was sounded...

Dec 20th

Bedggood chases rich The Supernova prize

Two rising nine-year-olds, both resuming, will give Gavin Bedggood a potential shot at his biggest payday as a trainer. A former jockey, Bedggood has been plying his trade as a trainer since 2017 and during the recent Melbourne Spring Carnival prepared Mornington Glory to land his first Group 1 success. Just Folk and Windstorm, both...

Dec 20th

Collett hoping for Dream Brisbane raid in BJ McLachlan Stakes and Magic Millions Falvelon

A pair of promising two-year-olds from the Ciaron Maher stable have lured top Sydney hoop Jason Collett to Queensland for back-to-back meetings this weekend. Collett is heading north to partner filly Life After Love in the $250,000 Magic Millions The Debut (1000m) at the Gold Coast on Friday night and her Maher-trained stablemate...

Dec 20th

Theodore aims to keep strike-rate going in Christmas Cup at Murray Bridge

Trainer Stephen Theodore is looking to Divine Fire keeping his impressive strike-rate going when she shoots for a winning hat-trick on Saturday. After victories at Morphettville and Gawler, Divine Fire runs in the Christmas Cup (1600m) at Murray Bridge with Jacob Opperman in the saddle. Since returning to training ranks at the start of...

Dec 20th