Milestone wins for astute horsewomen

A PAIR of astute horsewomen registered milestones in Shepparton earlier this week.

Reining With In Reason to a 1:57.6 victory over 2190 metres, Donna Castles notched her 200th win as a trainer.

Obtaining her licence during the 2013/14 season, Castles broke her maiden with Oi You on December 21, 2013 – also in Shepparton.

Castles also had 233 wins as a driver.

Later on the card Susan Hunter completed her 300th training success thanks to Pearl Of Philtra.
Rating 1:58.7 over 2190 metres, the promising three-year-old took her record to two wins from three starts.

Bred and owned by the Wade family, Pearl Of Philtra is a distant relative of Hunter’s initial winner, Prince Benji.

Prince Benji provided Hunter with her first triumph by proving too good in Bankstown on February 21, 2008.

“I knew 300 was coming up as I noticed my figures earlier this year,” Hunter said. “It is great to get to that mark.

“I didn’t know Pearl Of Philtra was related to Prince Benji until I noticed the pedigree in a sales catalogue.

“It’s nice to have that connection between my first and 300th win.”

Although she has captured 15 Group Ones, Hunter selected Captain Joy’s win in a series heat at Albion Park as her most memorable.

“I was in Melbourne and he was racing in Queensland, so I had to watch him race on television,” Hunter recalled. “He wasn’t even on the screen at the top of the straight and then he appeared out of nowhere to win.

“That was a heat of the Kevin Seymour Nursery and would be my most memorable win.”