Australian Open joy for Sam Stosur on same day equine namesake is retired

It was a momentous Friday in more ways than one for two Stosurs, one named after another, but both particularly endearing to Exning trainer Gay Kelleway.

Eight-year-old mare and stable stalwart Stosur was retired following her ninth-placed finish in a mile handicap at Lingfield, hours after tennis player Sam Stosur tasted Australian Open women's doubles success on home soil after a 14-year wait.

Previously a mixed doubles champion in Melbourne in 2005, Stosur defied years of heartbreak to seal an emotional triumph with Zhang Shuai of China and instigate a day to remember for all types of Stosur followers.

Kelleway said: "Sam Stosur is one of my favourite tennis players and I had always wanted to name a horse after her – thankfully she said it would be her pleasure when I had the opportunity to ask her back in 2013 and both Stosurs have been favourites ever since.

"Sam is an astonishing tennis player and it was great to see her win at the Australian Open. She tended to get quite nervous in her matches, but I remember being at Wimbledon one Sunday watching her and she was simply phenomenal. She's one of the best players I've seen."

The equine Stosur, named by Kelleway but owned by Brian Oakley, won six races, including a £10,000 first prize fillies' maiden at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in 2014, and placed 28 times from 77 starts.

She is quite rightly set for a happy retirement with the trainer insistent on finding the right home for the much-treasured daughter of Mount Nelson.

Kelleway, who is in the process of setting up a satellite yard in France, said: "She's been fabulous and is a star. She's been a stable stalwart for many years and was the first horse Brian had with me.

"Becky, my farrier, helps us find good homes for our retired horses – any number of our horses have gone on to new careers and we like to keep in contact with their new owners to see how they're getting on.

"I owe my life to racehorses so I'm very keen to make sure they're looked after their racing career and Stosur certainly deserves it – she's been great to us."

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