Lady Longpockets makes comeback after foaling

By Glenn Davis 

The Stephen Rundle-trained Lady Longpockets returns after a two-year absence from the racetrack at Rockhampton on Tuesday. 

The galloper will do so in the Class 1 Handicap over 1100 metres.

The six-year-old daughter of Invader was dispatched to the breeding barn after just one career start when she won a 1050 metre maiden at Callaghan Park in August of 2023.

Lady Longpockets is owned by Moranbah cattleman Ian Mitchell who races many horses but decided to breed from the mare after her Rockhampton victory.

“She started off with Lee Freedman at the Gold Coast then Ian bought her and managed to get a win out of her,” Rundle said.

“Then she went straight to the breeding barn and had a colt by Lean Mean Machine who stands at Aquis.

“Ian thought she was doing so well after having her foal, so he put her back into work.”

Lady Longpockets has been in work for some time and ran third to the Jamie McConachy-trained Sunnycoast in a 1000 metre barrier trial in Rockhampton last week.

“She was beaten around seven lengths but at the 600 metre mark she and Sunnycoast were in front together,” Rundle said.

“This is her first run for two years, but I won’t be surprised to see her run a big race.”

Rundle will be hoping for a belated birthday after turning 49 recently. 

He also has high hopes of another win from Deep Blast in the Open Handicap over 1100 metres.

The seven-year-old broke a six-month losing streak for the stable when successful in an 1100 metre Benchmark race at Callaghan Park in the middle of June.

A son of Deep Field, Deep Blast is coming off a fast-finishing sixth to the Jeff Dunn-trained Sha Of Gomer in the Rockhampton Newmarket on July 4.

Sha Of Gomer has since franked the form with his dominant win in the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton on July 16.

“He gets back in his races and he made up a lot of ground on the winner in the Newmarket,” Rundle said.

“He was held up in the straight and may have run fourth with a clear run.”

Rundle appears to have found the key with Deep Blast who was a cheap $5,500 buy at an Inglis online auction.

“The Hayes boys had him in Melbourne before he went to Adam Campton on the Gold Coast,” Rundle said.

“When he first came to me, we found he came wide in all his races and just lost interest.

“His rider Raul Silvera Olivera has done a lot of work on him and we put our heads together and decided to ride him on the inside and he seems to like it that way.

“It makes him want to chase more. He always races well and should be competitive again.”