VILLAGE ANVIL FORTUITOUS WINNER
Village Anvil fortuitously delivered as a $2 favourite in the Washington VC Fillies and Mares Mobile Pace at Forbury on July 1.
Village Anvil held her maiden win despite tangling when trailing at the 900m, checking the trailing Simply Genius.
The stewards dismissed the inquiry after Village Anvil recovered to run down Anita Patron by a neck in a 2:01.4 mile rate for the 1700m.
Village Anvil’s stablemate Courage Talks, who was racing outside Village Anvil when she broke at the 900m, held third for driver Regan Todd.
“We made things a bit harder for ourselves,” Regan said.
A former $50,000 Ready To Run 2YO buy, Village Anvil ran several placings when initialy tried by former owner Graham Beirne and West Melton trainer Cran Dalgety.
After Beirne quit the filly, she was taken on in search of a win or two by the Bawn To Be Classie Syndicate, Nathan Brown, Lisa Howson and the Riverside Boxing Club Syndicate.
Village Anvil enjoyed a change of scenery at Westwood Beach leading up to her Forbury win.
She opened her winning account at her 13th start, and her sixth since joining the Burnham stable of Mark Jones.
Village Anvil credited Mark with his 47th training win for the season.
While taking longer than expected to win her maiden, Village Anvil’s win will enhance her broodmare value later in life.
She has a strong pedigree with her dam Village Gem being a half-sister by Soky’s Atom to fast North American milers Village Raider (1:50.8), Clever Rogue (1:53.4), Village Rogue (1:54), Village Showoff (1:53.2), and the former good Colin & Julie De Filippi-trained Canterbury winner, Village Chief (11 wins).
Village Gem is also a half-sister to the former smart Robin Butt-trained filly Village Rose (5 wins), the dam of Robin Butt’s former NZ 2YO Kindergarten Stakes and Australian Derby winner City Rogue (1:49.8, US), and other fast pacers in Country Rogue (1:50.8, US) and City Express (1:53, US).
B Grudge, a grandson of Village Rose, is another big winner from the family, winning 10 and over $132,476 from Colin and Julie De Filippi’s Ladbrooks stable, before being exported to Perth.
Star Lady, the Smooth Fella grand-dam of Village Anvil, won five races was a regular producer of speed horses, leaving 14 foals for 10 winners, including eight in 2:00.