THE IPSWICH CUP - A WINNING CELEBRATION THAT WAS HEARD AS FAR AWAY AS MACKAY

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 24, 2024

Red Wave, the Ipswich Cup winner amidst emotional scenes at the track on Saturday, has pulled up well after his sterling feature race effort and he will be given a three week break now before being aimed at the Toowoomba Cup, the home-town cup of the Toowoomba based training partnership of Tony and Maddysen Sears.

The emotion was there for all to see. Tony Sears was just so proud of his daughter Maddysen, he was literally glowing, while Maddysen was dealing with a realm of emotions herself, which had everything to do with her own personal connection to Red Wave.

“I have to say that it was the highlight of my career for a couple of reasons,” explained co-trainer Maddy Sears, looking back at the Cup victory.

“He is a horse that dad (co-trainer Tony Sears) had left me with to my devices. I do his whole training solo on my own ... but, over and above that, just the background behind the horse. He is very special to me and my family ... maybe more so for me being a half-brother to Exondabeach who was one of my first ever racehorses.

“For him to come and do that, it was just a really, really special day.”

The horses were not many strides past the post when Maddy Sears could be seen running towards her father with a hop, skip and a jump, while already speaking to her mother Leigh on the phone. Multi-tasking came easy with the rush of adrenaline.

“Mum was at a big horse show in Mackay and, because she had to watch it on her phone, when I rung her she hadn’t actually realised that he had won (it was a two horse battle all the way to the line), so there was some very exuberant celebrations on the end of the phone,” said Maddy Sears.

Joining in the family celebration was somebody who is quickly becoming part of the family, jockey Angela Jones, who produced an inch perfect ride on Red Wave.

“Very much part of the excitement was that Ange won that race for us,” said Sears. “She has won two stakes races for us now (Jomes also won the Lightning Handicap for the Sears yard back on June 8) and there is such a long-standing relationship we have with her ... yeah, it was quite emotional for all of us.

“I think that is the first time I have ever seen Ange salute after a race win.”

Red Wave’s win continued a fine run of Carnival success for the Sears training partnership with the five-year-old son of Red Dazzler giving the stable their third feature race success in fifteen days after Steady Ready (in the Lightning) and Yellow Brick (in the Spear Chief Handicap) has both saluted in a race-to-race double at Eagle Farm on June 8.
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RELATED ARTICLE. - This is from almost three years ago when Red Wave scored another significant victory at Ipswich. he bond never weakens

THE SEARS CELEBRATION: THOSE TEARS EXPLAINED

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