Opetaia Enters Group 1 Club In National Futurity
YOUNG mentor Jay Opetaia has capped off his meteoric rise through the ranks by claiming group 1 glory for the first time in the National Futurity.

YOUNG mentor Jay Opetaia has capped off his meteoric rise through the training ranks by claiming group 1 glory for the first time with Laura Keeping in Saturday night's National Futurity (520m) at Wentworth Park.
Stepping out for just her eighth race start, Laura Keeping, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Ruby Keeping, edged out leader Taormina in the drive to the line to score a heart-stopping win in 29.66.
The resounding victory extended Laura Keeping's record to five wins from eight starts including her past four in a row at headquarters culminating in her National Futurity triumph.
For Opetaia, it continued his sparkling entry into the training ranks in recent years, which has included the extraordinary run of success he enjoyed with Million Dollar Chase finalist Agland Luai, while winning a G2 Richmond Derby with Go Bears as well as a Group 3 Chief Havoc Cup with Street Of Dreams.
"This feels unreal, everything I've ever dreamed of – it's crazy," Opetaia said.
"I saw she began well but not great and then I saw the one flew out and my girl got a good run up on the rail.
"She took a long way to reel the winner in and checked off the heels of a couple but she's got a massive heart and got there when it mattered most."
Opetaia was quick to heap praise on Laura Keeping's breeders and owners Charmaine Roberts and Shayne Stiff who entrusted the promising type in the care of the Orange mentor.
"A huge thanks to them – they've made this possible," Opetaia added.
"They showed the confidence in me to let me train her and I can't thank them enough.
"To get the result tonight for them is just a dream come true.
"It's been a big year or two but that just drives you to want to work harder."
While a whisker separated the first two across the line in the $75,000-to-the-winner feature, it was a further two lengths back to Zipping Mayer which ran a bottler of a race for Minnie Finn in third.