The subject of a late betting plunge, the tough and consistent mare TERRA MATER lived up to the hype in the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes at Wyong on Sunday 1st September.
Coming off a good second at Rosehill resuming from a spell, Terra Mater's good second-up record remained intact under a masterful yet heart-stopping ride from Nash Rawiller, who burst through a tiny gap between the leaders less than 30 metres from the finish line.
Purchased as a weanling for $1,750 by now part-owner Gary Carden, Terra Mater advanced her record to seven wins, six seconds and a third placing from 16 starts, amassing prize money of $506,350.

Vale Looks Like Elvis
The King has left the building.
Owner Jim Critchley has advised us of the devasting and terribly sad news that Looks Like
Elvis has passed away peacefully but suddenly of a suspected heart attack.
Elvis was about to turn ten and an unusual fact is that Elvis shared his actual date of birth
with the same date attributed to all horses for the purposes of thoroughbred racing.
Elvis was a true racehorse who loved racing and the routine and attention of stable life.
In his racing Elvis was ultra-competitive and courageous.
Since his retirement, Elvis had been exploring and progressing, through the early stages of a
possible new career in equestrian and looking forward beyond dressage, to some cross-
country galloping that would surely have suited his athleticism, enthusiasm for competition
and love of a decent gallop.
Jim and Eagle Farm trainer Bryan Dais purchased Elvis at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in
2016 and Bryan and his wife Nicky subsequently guided Elvis through his early development
to become a very successful cult horse in Brisbane prior to his career with Jarrod.
Ultimately, Elvis became an exceptional but under acknowledged racehorse, with a race
record that really does not do him justice. It is worth noting that in a career that saw him race
68 times he won ten races and finished second 15 times, many of those close finishes in
black type races, including a photo finish with Yulong Prince on Melbourne Cup day in 2019
when Craig Williams was hoping to ride a race to race double after his memorable
Melbourne Cup victory.
Elvis earned nearly $1.5m for his owners and was also loved by punters, many of whom
gravitated to him and his name, towards the end of race day and he seldom failed to give
them a memorable ride and a decent return.
Many performers have impersonated Elvis and in his last win on 4 June 2022, our Elvis
turned the tables when unusually, he missed the start and then, in a jaw dropping
performance with Linda Meech aboard, negotiated his way through the field to win a Winter
Championships race at Flemington. The run was a reasonable Looks Like Elvis
impersonation of Rough Habit in the 1992 Stradbroke Handicap. A comparison that is poles
apart in some ways but similar in others.
The passing of Elvis is profoundly sad and premature, but he will be fondly remembered by
many and loved forever by those closest to him.
Many thanks for a wonderful ride Elvo, it has been our privilege and good fortune to be
involved with you.
RIP Looks Like Elvis
https://www.racing.com/form/2022-06-04/flemington/race/8

Remus upturned his last start form when fronting up at Gosford on 16 May. Run over 1600 metres on a Heavy 9, Remus jumped from a wide gate to quickly take up the lead before the first turn for jockey Jess Taylor, who had won on him two starts previously.
Challenged before the turn, Remus kicked way on straightening, only increasing his lead approaching the winning post.
The 6yo son of Vancouver has now won four races (two on a heavy track) with three at the distance of a mile.

(Photo: Bradley Photographers)

Always having shown ability to her trainer, 3yo filly Super Zippi lived up to her promise with a slick win at Canterbury on 1st May. With two late scratchings she easily jumped to the lead in the five horse field and kept going, kicking away by two lengths in the straight under Jess Taylor.
The favourite, first-start Zoustar filly Eraantyva gave chase late, but could not catch her.
Congratulations to her large group of enthusiastic owners!

Photo: Bradley Photographers

Lightly raced 4yo ZAMBEZI RIVER, a son of the great I Am Invincible, put paid to his rivals at Goulburn over 1000m with a strong win. Second up from a long spell, he went one better than his first-up second at Wyong.
Carrying top weight of 60kg, Zambezi River jumped well and shared the lead until the turn, when he drew away from his fellow pacemaker and fought off latecomers to score by 0.6l for jockey Keagan Latham.

Talented 4yo mare TERRA MATER has her owners very excited after winning the Provincial - Midway Championships Wild Card race at Newcastle on 3rd April.
Starting at $3.60 second favourite, Terra Mater burst from the gates to the lead, but was then asked to settle behind the leaders over the 1400 metres.
After turning into the straight, the mare was crowded for a run and jockey Nash Rawiller pushed through a small gap on the rails to regain the lead at the 100 metre mark.
She fought off a late charge by the favourite Willinga Freefall and Terra Mater was the horse which earned the wildcard berth in the $1 million Polytrack Provincial - Midway Championships Final to be held at Royal Randwick on 13 April.

Starting at the odds of $2.70, TERRA MATER brought up a seemingly effortless metro hat trick at Randwick on 6 January.

Confidently ridden by Nash Rawiller, who guided her in her two previous wins this campaign, the daughter of Wandjina settled third in running and hooked out at the 300 metre mark to unleash her impressive sprint to score by an easy 1.2 lengths.

From only 11 race starts, Terra Mater has never been out of the placings to-date with 5 wins, 5 seconds and 1 third.

Jarrod and the big ownership group now look forward to the possibility of contesting stakes races in the future for this talented young mare.