Cover image courtesy of Lauri Parker Racing
Written by Paul Vettise
The capable Torrens (Adelaide {Ire}) will make his first appearance from Lauri Parker’s boutique Warwick Farm stable on Saturday following an out of the blue approach to take over the training duties of the 4-year-old.
As the winner of five of his 16 starts, Torrens is a welcome addition to the former successful apprentice’s yard and will make a fresh start in the Garry Burgess H. over 1600 metres at Rosehill.
Parker (nee Wray) rode a century of winners before illness from wasting led to her retirement in 2012 and she subsequently took out a trainer’s licence.
“I’ve been training for six or seven years now, time disappears so quickly. I’ve got 12 in work and a few nice 2-year-olds coming through to get excited about.” - Lauri Parker
“I’ve been training for six or seven years now, time disappears so quickly. I’ve got 12 in work and a few nice 2-year-olds coming through to get excited about,” she said.
“Kamea ran a really good race the other day at Canterbury Park. I think she will be a nice horse for us over the winter once I get her up to over 1400 metres and a mile.”
Smart pedigree
Kamea (Sebring) has been lightly tried and finished fourth on Wednesday and has the pedigree to back up Parker’s confidence in her future prospects.
She purchased her on behalf of stable clients out of Yarraman Park Stud’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft for $100,000. The filly’s mother Calming Influence (Commands) won five times and was second in the G3 Dark Jewel Classic.
She is a daughter of Calming (Zeditave), a stakes-winning half-sister to the dam of the G1 Clairwood Mercury Sprint winner War Artist (Orpen {USA}), who also placed at the top level in the Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee S., Newmarket July Cup and the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp.
Kamea as a yearling
The immediate focus though is on Torrens, who will be racing at a distance below his best, but has pleased Parker since he joined the team following a call from his Singapore-based part-owner Vincent Balasubramaniam.
“He’s definitely a good addition to the stable and I was contacted one day by Vincent asking if I’d take him,” she said.
“He’s a nice horse and has showed brilliance, but he does have to step up to Sydney grade. Torrens is a big, strong horse who I’ve got to get up to 2000 and 2200 metres.
“Torrens is a big, strong horse who I’ve got to get up to 2000 and 2200 metres.” – Lauri Parker
“I’ve given him two trials and he just really followed them around, so he will improve. He’s a 4-year-old stallion and Koby (Jennings) has ridden him in those trials so he knows him well.
“He needs to get a run under his belt and then we can move forward. He’s better off first-up over the mile, it will be more in his comfort zone rather than trying to keep up with them over 1400 metres.
“He may not show us much over the shorter trips in Sydney grade and when he gets to 2000 metres I think he’ll be fine.”
Formerly trained by Ethan Ensby, Torrens will have to shoulder 62kg on his return but that doesn’t faze Parker.
“He’s won with 60.5kg at Port Macquarie and ran second at the Gold Coast with 61kg so he can carry it, my main concern is a wet track really,” she said.
“He’s a lovely, kind horse – he’s a gentleman really. Around the stable he’s very easy to handle and no problem at all, which is just as well as he’s a big boy.”
