IT was another exceptional day in the saddle for Tim Phillips last Friday when he rode the first four winners on the six-event card at the time-honoured and iconic Bong Bong Picnic meeting.
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Three of those four winners were trained by Kembla Grange’s Donna Grisedale with the fourth for Sam Kavanagh from Warwick Farm.
Tim then rode Graeme Spackman’s Central Act for a four lengths fourth placing in the feature Bong Bong Cup, before ending the day with a close third placing on another of Donna Grisedale’s horses, being Dane Cheval.
Tim and Donna have enjoyed plenty of success together on the Picnic circuit, but this one takes the cake, and I’m sure their happy association will be a continuing one after last Friday’s avalanche.
Only two Moruya-based runners made the trip to the six-event non-TAB meeting at Adaminaby last Saturday and I’m proud to report that they both returned home as winners.
The first to run was Mark Macdonald’s lightly-raced five-year-old gelding Hot Scent who stepped out in the opening maiden (1000m) handicap with Kevin Sweeney in the saddle.
He bolted in by an emphatic three lengths winning margin, after showing continuing improvement at his past few runs leading up to Saturday’s win.
It is interesting to note the dam of Hot Scent is Mark’s great mare of some years ago, Fluro Fever, and it’s wonderful for Mark and all the connections that he’s now broken his maiden status.
Our other horse, and winner, was Steve Stephens’ Baldovino who added another Country Cup to his collection by taking out the 2014 $17,000 Adaminaby Cup (1400m) by almost a length with good young female apprentice Deanne Panya aboard, whose two kilo claim reduced Baldovino’s weight burden to 58.5kg for the journey.
With Steve’s astute preparation and placement I expect the horse will be a force to contend with a Moruya’s big race meetings in January.
It was Goulburn’s biggest day of the year last Sunday for the running of the $100,000, 2014 Goulburn City Cup (1600m) and it looked like a city meeting on paper, with Sydney stables domination numbers across the board.
Chicka Pearson’s Painted Warrior was our only Moruya runner on the program and he ran in the class one (1400m) event with Kevin Sweeney in the saddle, finishing behind the placegetters, but not disgraced, in the race won by Godolphin’s Deliberate trained by John O’Shea.
Attention then turned to the mid-week city meeting at Canterbury on Wednesday where John Marzol’s Grey Drama, ridden by Blake Shinn, ran in the No Metro wins (1100m) sprint, second-up after a five-month spell.
The speed was on from the inside horses from the jump and Grey Drama was caught four-wide without cover for the whole race and ran out of steam to finish out of the placings.
The race was taken out by Greg Hickman’s Pretty Uncanny ridden by Brenton Avdulla.
Luke Pepper’s Hello Schumann was an acceptor for the meeting but was a scratching on the morning, following his good first-up win at Goulburn several weeks ago.
He’s another building up for our big January Cup meetings where he’s enjoyed success before.
Like all other members of the Moruya Jockey Club, I was delighted to read our esteemed President’s Annual report and balance sheet for the 2013-2014 racing season.
Peter Atkinson’s comprehensive report paints a wonderful picture of the continuing success and continuing improvement of our shire’s premier social and sporting venue, and it one of which we can all be very proud.
The Annual General Meeting for the acceptance of the Report and Balance sheet will be held on Sunday, December 7.
I’m looking forward to today’s Canberra meeting where Luke Pepper’s Quichang (race three), Kevin Cassidy’s Goodlookin’ Rooster and Chicka Pearson’s Stake Knife (race eight), Kevin’s Come Out Swingin’(race six) and Joe Ible’s Babylon Note (race two) will be running.
Roly Saxton is back on Frank Walden’s Fabulous Dragon, looking to make it a hat-trick in race four, good luck Roly.
Check your guides for our runners at Kembla Grange on Sunday where Lynda Bundy’s Fields Of Freedom and Cos Can’t Wait, Joe Ible’s Rush To Judgement and Vision And Verse, and Kevin’s Woobie have been nominated.
Until next week, good luck and good punting.