Theres a House Party in the Encipher Stakes
When trainer Emma Stewart saw a race named in honour of her former champion Encipher she was determined try and take out the feature.
“That is the reason House Party came across,” said Stewart’s partner and training associate Clayton Tonkin.
“Encipher is such a special part of our stable.
“After her race career finished she stayed on our property and is about to foal to the US stallion Confederate.”
Owned and bred in Kadina by Tyson Linke, Encipher was a four-time Group 1 winner in a career of 18 wins and eight placings from just 30 starts but her greatest win was in the inaugural running of the world’s richest harness race, the TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2, 2023.
House Party lived up to her part of the job taking out the 2025 Encipher Stakes (1800m) for three-year-old fillies at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
The win was a first for Stewart in the event which was formerly the Mermaid Stakes, and it was also reinsman Wayne Hill’s first success in the feature.
Sent out the $1.12 favourite, House Party was given time to balance up early settling fifth in the field of seven, but once the leaders settled, Hill took the three-year-old filly to the lead, and the race was over.
She cruised home 20-1.2 metres clear of Shirley Not ($10) with Dee Jays Miss ($26), three metres away third.
“She is a big overgrown filly that has taken time,” Tonkin said.
“She has a lot of raw ability but is still learning about racing and is a work in progress.”
Tonkin said there was a chance House Party could take on the colts in the heats of the SA Derby this Saturday at Globe Derby Park.
“One of our team, Silver Pistol, only finished fifth in his heat of the Victoria Derby on Saturday and there is a chance he may come across, and if he does, she probably will miss the SA heats.
“It is a decision we will make early in the week.”
Tonkin also said there was a possibility the outstanding Miki To Success could be at Globe Derby Park for the heats of the SA Cup.
“We believe he is not really seasoned enough to run in the Victoria Cup, so the SA Cup heats are an option. Again, that is a decision for early in week.”
Miki To Success was an excellent fifth in the 2025 Eureka at Menangle on September 6 at his most recent run. He is a Group 1 winner of 12 of his 29 starts.
Concession reinsman Jason Kittel had a good day at the office coming away with a driving double.
He scored on tough stayer Major Mad for grandfather Trevor Kittel in the Kevin & Kay Seymour Pace before teaming with his father Symon to win the Fast As The Wind USA @ Wingate Farm Trotters Mobile (2230m) on Spotlight.
Sometimes a maligned pacer because of his racing style, Major Mad has actually been a good money-earner for the Kittel family as Saturday’s victory was his 15th for them.
Very one-paced, but an out-and-out stayer, Major Mad can find himself back in the field in his races finding his opponents too quick in a sprint home.
On Saturday, Kittel was able to push through from his gate two draw to sit parked which enabled the young reinsman to ensure he kept the tempo on sitting outside Don’t Tell Alice which held in the inside from barrier one.
Major Mad ($31) kept his tempo up scoring by 3-1/2 metres from Butter Cup ($3.50) with True Blue Rose ($9), two metres away third.
Spotlight is a talented trotter, bred and owned by the Buckland Park Homestead of David Battye.
Kittel had him away nicely from gate seven, and with the red-hot favourite Georgy Girl disrupting the field twice with short errors, he was able to keep Spotlight handy to the front.
The seven-year-old, a $10 chance, toughed out the final 200 metres to score by as half neck from Janes Gem ($11) with Georgy Girl ($1.55 fav) a similar margin away third.
Hobby trainer Ken Talent is having good success with Lochinvar Talent which proved too strong for his rivals in the SA Cups Night Saturday October 25 Pace (2230m).
The six-year-old made it three wins from his past four starts.
Driver Dean Girardi had to be content to sit parked on Saturday, but Lochinvar Ruler ($3.80 fav) proved too strong scoring by 4-1/2 metres from Amys Baby Angel ($4.20) with Ohso Kinky ($4.80) a half-metre away third.
- Story Graham Fischer
- Photo Walter Bulyga