Co-trainers Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter are hoping to secure a major victory for the Kembla Grange faithful when their fast mare Sunrise lines up in The Warra.
With the $1 million Gong (1600m) lacking a single Kembla-based runner this year and Cani Cancan sitting at $151 for The Warra (1000m), Sunrise, currently second favourite at $5, is the region’s most realistic opportunity for a feature triumph.
Having moved from Albury to Kembla two years ago, Beer expanded his operation in September when Carpenter officially became his partner.
“Kembla has fast become home. It’s terrific,” Beer said.
“We’ve got a pretty big day socially (on Saturday). We have about 300 people in our marquee on-course, so as new as we are to Wollongong and the club, it feels like our big day pretty quickly.
“This meeting is quite new, the club is new in terms of the CEO and track manager. We all arrived around the same time and it’s great to be involved and aligned with a club trying new things and not just resting on good horses turning up for the Gong.”
Sunrise was sourced from New Zealand after two of Beer’s staff identified her as the type that would suit the stable’s model.
Secured for $45,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, she has since claimed three victories, including a commanding 7-1/4 length demolition over the Kembla 1000m in March — the same distance as The Warra — where she set a 55.58 second track record.
“We’re a stable that loves getting hold of tried horses,” Beer said.
“Her form in New Zealand was good, and I thought if she could take good physical improvement, she would stack up OK.
“It would be nice to be taking her back through that sale in a couple of years as a stakes winner.”
Her path to this campaign has involved plenty of refinement of her manners and overcoming issues such as a virus and a colic scare, but the team always had this race earmarked.
After finishing fifth in the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) in May, everything has been geared towards Saturday.
“For us, she is a track record holder here at Kembla over 1000 so it’s a perfect race for us to really target and she couldn’t be going into the race in any better form,” he said.
With Mnemeth retired, Sunrise now has the chance to step into the stable-leader role, should she continue progressing.
“Someone has bloody got to. He carried the stable for a long time,” Beer said.
“I think she can go to that level. She’s not a week-in, week-out Group horse, but she is a genuine Saturday class to Listed mare, and she has really found her right race.”