Westbury Park owner Phil Ibbotson missed a win to remember when Grey Enigma gave bookmakers a $51 skinner at Belmont on Saturday.
Grey Enigma was given a peach of a ride by Stephen Parnham for his father Neville to defeat the favourite Minus Looks (Demerit) in a driving finish to the Pretl & Williams Hcp (1300m).
Ibbotson is also Chairman of Pinjarra Race Club and he flew to Penang on Friday for the July Sprint Trophy double-header where the Pinjarra Trophy (1100m) was one of the highlights of the weekend.
While Ibbotson was in Malaysia, the Westbury Park-bred grey sprinter closed Perth’s 2017-18 calendar with a tough win at his 17th start this season. “He’s a stable favourite and that didn’t surprise me,” Neville Parnham declared. “I told Steve to dig him out of the gate and get a cart into the race. It worked out as planned and the horse did a great job.”
GREY ENIGMA
Ibbotson used his former sire He’s A Decoy over Break the Code (Bletchley Park) to breed Grey Enigma. His dam won a Northam maiden for Jim Taylor and comes from the family of Pago Pago’s black-type sisters Tropical Touch and Light Year Lady.
“He always keeps a bit left in the tank – that’s why he can sustain such a long campaign,” Parnham added. “He’s a nice sound horse and has won about $300,000 for our good client Mick Duthie.”
Westbury Park also bred Pym’s Royale to win the Goldfields Magic Millions Classic (1200m) on Sunday. The Husson gelding is unbeaten in five starts for trainer Peter Fernie since relocating to Kalgoorlie. His dam Pym’s Lane is a three-quarter sister to Atlante (G1 NZ 2000 Guineas).
Ibbotson stands Hong Kong Group 1 sprinter-miler My Admiration in West Pinjarra. A son of Encosta de Lago from a stakes winning three-quarter sister to Wandjina, he sired three city winners from his first crop this season.
My Admiration stands for a $4,950 (inc gst) service fee this year.