Trainer and jockey quotes following the Group 3 Kirin Ichiban Sprint won by New York Lustre at Flemington on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: New York Lustre (Enver Jusufovic/Carleen Hefel) - $9.50
2nd: Flying For Fun (Bryce Heys/Jordan Childs) - $11
3rd: Arabian Summer (Tony & Calvin McEvoy/Blake Shinn) -$4.40 fav
Winning Time: 1:03.03 Last 600m: N/A
Margins: Long Neck x Long Neck
Putting on a show in the last
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 1, 2025
NEW YORK LUSTRE wins the Kirin Ichiban Sprint to round out a fabulous #DerbyDay.
@wwos | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/YWZpMboB1X
Winning Trainer: Enver Jusufovic
"It was great. I thought she put the writing on the wall last start and the inception of the blinkers just kept her focused and eradicated her flat spot.
"Its just wonderful for Mike Howard who bred this horse and Carleen Hefel for a group three win.
"I think the plan is for a bit of a break but I'll have a chat to Mike and try and persuade him to have a go at The Meteorite on Cranbourne Cup Day.
"She's been up a long time like St Kilda Football Club but she's had nice little breaks in between. She's a really tough bugger."
"I think you've got to remember she started off the prep winning a benchmark 58 at Seymour to now reach the heights of a Group Three.
"Great effort from my team at home. She hasn't been easy; she's got a bit of a mind of her own."
"I think it's terrific that Mike has stuck with Carleen and rewarded her with a Group Three win. She doesn't get too many opportunities in these types of.races but she works extremely hard behind the scenes. I'm extremely grateful for Mike letting Carleen ride the horse."
Blinkers on: "She generally has been hitting a flat spot, meaning she takes about 150 metres to wind up, and by that stage everything else has got momentum. So I put them on in her work on Tuesday, Carleen galloped her and I got a beaming smile that you normally get from Carleen, but it was a little bit extra.
"I thought it was a great idea Mike suggested it, and I'm always prepared to try different things, and it's paid off today."
Winning Jockey: Carleen Hefel
On the win: "It's a big thrill. I know it's only Group Three, but I'm a little bit emotional on that one. EJ supported me through a lot. It's just terrific to get a win for him and the mare and for Mike, the owner."
Blinkers on: "Just perfect. We galloped her in them the other day. She worked spot on, better than before last run, and today began super. It just all worked out well. She had something to follow today, and she just felt great. No flat spots, she really attacked the line."
Supposed to ride at Traralgon: "I realized that that was probably a silly idea and just focused on this afternoon, so that's what I did."
