Debbie Kennedy back riding on Sunday

Debbie Kennedy, who won good races as a jockey for White Robe Lodge, will don silks again on Sunday to ride in a novelty race at the Otago Racing Club meeting at Wingatui. The meeting is Positively Pink Day, supporting the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. "It is a very good cause and we wish the club well,'' said Lorraine Anderton, a WRL principal. Kennedy won  the group three Booth Kennedy Insurance Stakes at Riccarton on Clarendon Ruby, trained by her uncle Brian Anderton, in 1993. Clarendon Ruby, carrying 49kg, won by three quarters of a length from the WRL star, A Gordon For Me (57.5kg). Kennedy, as Debbie Anderton rode WRL-trained Bloodstone to win the 1989 Riverton Cup for owners, Tom and Diana Sidey. Debbie (45) is the celebrity rider in the Dunstan Horse Feeds Track Rider Oaks on Sunday. Her daughter, Jaylah (15) is riding in the same event. Debbie returned to riding track work three years ago. She retired from race riding in 2003 after riding three winners, Partyinthepark, Harmonica and Sumtime at a Cromwell meeting. She was then three months pregnant with Jonty. She also had time off from riding before her first child, Bailey (18), was born.

"Our three children were also first past the winning post before they were born,'' she recalled. Debbie resumed riding track work at Wingatui three years ago when the Carefree Stable she operates with husband, Terry, was short of staff. She served an apprenticeship with her father, Hec and rode her first winner, False Start at Wyndham in 1986. She won the White Robe Lodge Handicap at Wingatui on Random Choice (1995) and Nearly Pal's the following year and the 1999 Dunedin Cup on De Montfort.

Grey Guru (Gallant Guru- Pernella) posted his sixth win and took his stake earnings to $88,735 when successful in a rating 85 1600m at Otaki on Thursday (26/5/2016) for Raymond and Mark Connors. Mal D'Mour(Gallant Guru- Moi Amour) won his fifth race (r75 1200m) for owner and co-trainer John Parsons at Washdyke six days earlier.