Isle Of Rose Delivers Early Xmas Gift In Laurels

NSW chaser Isle Of Rose showed her rivals a clean quartet of paws when scoring a dominant win in the Laurels Classic at Sandown Park.

Jilliby owner and trainer Troy Macdonald was given the "greatest Christmas present" when his classy chaser Isle Of Rose led throughout to win the Group 2 Laurels Classic at Sandown Park on Thursday night.

Macdonald, a former Australian PGA golf tour professional, expressed satisfaction and gratitude to leading Victorian trainers Kel and Jacqueline Greenough who took over preparations of his star chaser back in early November.

Isle Of Rose takes home the Group 2 Laurels for the Greenough's! pic.twitter.com/WW8kcFHgep

— Sandown Greyhounds (@sandowndogs) December 14, 2023

"Unbelievable," Macdonald said. "We're all over the moon with her.

"We had a plan to send her down for the Laurels and for Kel and Jackie to pull it off, we're forever grateful.

"We can't rap them enough for the whole experience.

"It's the greatest Christmas present we could have got."

Isle Of Rose improved her impressive record to 11 wins from 14 starts and took her earnings to just shy of $100,000.

The daughter of Barcia Bale overcame a tricky box six draw with blistering early speed to cross and find the front, holding her rivals at bay to win the age classic for bitches by 3-1/4 lengths.

Isle of Rose started at $3.50 and defeated Granny Roses ($8) with Desired Path ($34), a half-length away in third. The $2.60 favourite Here Comes Millie finished fifth after being unable to withstand the early pressure from those drawn the outside boxes.

Rose blooms

ISLE OF ROSE has outclassed her rivals in the Group 2 #LaurelsClassic Final at @sandowndogs.

Formerly of NSW, ISLE OF ROSE made it 11 wins from 14 starts in landing the first group win of her career.#GreyhoundRacing #PremierRacing pic.twitter.com/vSThKAaExv

— WatchDog Racing (@WatchDogRacing) December 14, 2023

"Like all good dogs, from day one she was good," Macdonald said. "She's been a beauty the whole way through.

"Heading forward as a breeding prospect. It doesn't get any better than winning a race like the Laurels."

Macdonald said he's talk to the Greenoughs in the coming days and "if they want to keep her down there for a bit longer its ok by us" but the plan is for the brindle bitch to return to NSW in 2024 to be prepared for the Group 2 Richmond Oaks in March.

"The Oaks and then the Golden Easter Egg are the two races that are in our sights in the first part of the New Year," Macdonald said.

Image credit: Jason Mckeown Photography