Kendrick full of heart and spirit ahead of Jewel

By Jordan Gerrans

Despite missing the recent Jewel Prelude, leading Caloundra mentor Stuart Kendrick has backed Heart And Spirit to make her presence felt at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The daughter of Spirit Of Boom has two Sunshine Coast victories on her resume from September of last year as well as one minor placing from five starts.

The brown filly has had two attempts at city-level racing in the early stages of her career but she did not figure in the finish on both occasions.

Heart And Spirit trialed on her home deck just over a month ago in preparation for the rich Jewel meeting and Kendrick thinks she can be competitive in the $500,000 showpiece event for Queensland-bred juveniles.

“She is a really nice little filly Heart And Spirit,” Kendrick said.

“She unfortunately missed the Prelude last month because she had a cut on her leg and we had to miss that. She had a jump-out since then and will get there for the three-year-old.”

Staged on Saturday, the $2 million Queensland Jewel race day returns to the Gold Coast Turf Club once again headlined by the $500,000 2YO QTIS Jewel and the $500,000 3YO QTIS Jewel.

Now in its eighth year, the Queensland Jewel race day is one of the premier horse racing events for Queensland-bred horses.

The team also has stablemate King Spirit nominated for the three-year-old event on Saturday. 

The gelding broke his maiden status at the Gold Coast late last month with apprentice Montana Philpot in the saddle. 

King Spirit had been placed on four occasions before nabbing his first career victory over 1015 metres.

"He has been one of those horses, he has been a bridesmaid," Kendrick said.

"He always looks like he is going to get the money. He is not the easiest horse sometimes to ride, he can want to overdo it a bit, which he did that day at the Gold Coast when he won.

"I thought he did a good job to win but I thought Montana equally did a good job to keep him nice and balanced and put him in the race at the right time.

"It was good to see him get the win on the board."

Philpot backed up her master's thoughts.

'I was very impressed with his run," the young apprentice rider noted.

"He has got good speed.

"He found the line strong and I was pleased for everyone to see him win."

Kendrick also has Wild Botanica and Sebring Girl nominated for the Gold Coast on Saturday in the Military Rose Handicap for the ladies over 1100 metres.

The stable was chasing feature success interstate last week.

The previously undefeated Dushenka went Randwick on Saturday in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes. 

Chestnut filly Dushenka could not have been much more impressive in her one career run prior to Saturday, bolting in by more than two lengths at Eagle Farm in January.

Dushenka made a spectacular winning debut when she easily accounted for the Lee Freedman-trained Idyllic Affair.

“She might go towards the better two-year-old races like the J.J Atkins,” Kendrick said of Dushenka and her winter carnival plans following the interstate trip. 

“I think she is a lovely horse.”

Dushenka did not figure in the finish in Sydney and was beaten a touch over nine lengths as an outsider in the market. 

Philpot rides Dushenka in her work and says the chestnut filly has a bright future. 

Following the QTIS Jewel, the annual Queensland Racing Carnival is on the horizon.

Kendrick nominated Redford and Love To Torque as two from his barn that he is keen to see under the spotlight of carnival racing.

Redford claimed the Magic Millions Rising Star race for three and four-year-old colts, geldings and entires in early January while Love To Torque broke her maiden status in the middle of February.

They are both gallopers Kendrick believes can be competitive in Group-level racing during the winter.

“Redford won a good feature race over the Magic Millions carnival and was very competitive,” Kendrick said.

“Redford is a lovely horse and is coming back and hopefully he will be there.

“He is a nice horse coming through. Love To Torque, she is a very nice Maurice filly, and she was very impressive in winning in town. She looks like she will be a perfect sort of J.J. horse as well.

“We have got a few going in that direction and hopefully a few of them can stand up can stand up and make them self counted."