A POWER blackout in sections of the South East, including the Penola region, disrupted the December race meeting for the Penola club on Wednesday.
It was not the first time in recent memory that a power failure has caused severe interruption to a race day in the South East, as it also occurred at Naracoorte during the state wide blackout a couple of years ago.
Following race three, the course and surrounding areas of Penola and Coonawarra were blacked out and the following event was put back 70 minutes.
Naracoorte trainer Sue Jaensch and her apprentice Justin Huxtable along with Mount Gambier trainer Peter Hardacre each had winning doubles on the eight race program.
It was a blanket finish to the main event, the 1300 metre BM 72 handicap where Jaensch and Huxtable completed their doubles with Any Given Glass at the gelding’s first run since late August.
Despite having reasonable first form and an excellent record at Penola, Any Given Glass was despised in betting ($6.50-$13) when the money arrived for the favourite Kapaulenko ($2.70-$1.80).
After being sent to the lead early, Kapaulenko was given no piece by Cyclone Jess and was under siege from the challengers from the furlong pole.
With only centimetres separating the first four runners, it was Any Given Glass which claimed the major spoils from Kapaulenko with the outsider Athos pipping Rhythmatic for third.
WORTH THE LONG TRIP
MEMBERS of the Hi Five syndicate who made the trip from the Murray Bridge region for the opening race were cock a hoop with the result.
Their four-year-old mare Bridgy Lasss appeared to have little more than a training gallop in taking out the 1700 metre maiden for senior Adelaide jockey Paul Gatt.
Placed twice previously during December at Murray Bridge and Morphettville, Bridgy Lass defied a betting drift ($2.20-$3.30 fav.) to lead all the way and made the race her own from the 300 metres.
Her stablemate Bowness Boy ($20-$8.50) and Victorian galloper Thai Connection ($6-$4) received solid support and finished fourth and third respectively.
Some very good bets were landed after the 1100 metre maiden when the Mount Gambier owned and trained Strategic Spice ($16-$8.50) won with plenty in reserve.
On debut back in July at Donald, Strategic Spice failed to beat a runner home, but was given the run of the race by Dominic Tourneur at her return to racing on Wednesday.
Tourneur had the Belinda O’Loughlin trained three-year-old filly nestled in behind the leaders coming to the home turn and the race was all over in the space of 150 metres once the youngster was eased to the outside.
An eye catching performance by the fourth placegetter Shakamber ($41-$21) which blew the start by six lengths and was beaten by half that margin.
RAILS OPTION WON THE RACE
A SNAP decision by apprentice Raquel Clark at the top of the straight was decisive in Hardacre chalking up his double with Centenary Shot in the 2100 metre BM 64 handicap.
Centenary Shot appeared to have the job ahead approaching the home turn, but responded splendidly once Clark elected to take a rails run near the furlong pole.
In another close finish, Centenary Shot pipped fellow Mount Gambier galloper Jim’s Special which looked the winner for much of the charge up the straight.
Before Wednesday, Centenary Shot had been a model of consistency in distance races with recent placings at Mount Gambier (twice) and Colac.
Earlier, Hardacre was in the winner’s stall after a copybook Melissa Julius ride on Playing Quietly in the 1400 metre maiden.
The five-year-old mare was having her second run this campaign off a six month spell and Julius had her parked behind the leaders until the top of the straight.
Once in the clear, Playing Quietly gradually wore down the well backed leader Lord Zidane ($6-$3.20 fav.) to break her maiden status at start number 11.
“I had to boot her up at the 600 metres and although she was never going to win easily, she responded well in the straight,” Julius told winning connections.
On track to enjoy the victory was a beaming part owner Emery Hayman following a serious work related injury back in June.
LET THE CELEBRATIONS BEGIN
MILLICENT owner/trainer Krystal Trembath is a relative newcomer to the training ranks in the Limestone Coast and will remember the 2017 Christmas meeting at Penola forever.
Trembath puts the polish on the five-year-old gelding Brobak which has threatened to win a race for a couple of months.
Brobak landed a hefty plunge in the 1100 metre class two ($14-$6.50) to give Trembath her very first winner in barnstorming fashion.
With 200 metres to run, Brobak was not being considered a winning hope, but finished at such a rate out wide on the track that he raced clear to clearly beat a line up for the minor placings.
The Jaensch/Huxtable combination opened their winning account with Iamthekey in the 1400 metre BM 56 handicap.
In a very open betting race, Huxtable always had the gelding in the firing line before running to the lead at the 300 metres.
At his second run from a lengthy break, the Richard Wilson trained Shooshkabob ($9-$7.50) made up many lengths in the finishing stages to grab second spot.
FIRST AUSSIE WINNER
HONG Kong apprentice Alfred Chan only started riding in Australia on Boxing Day and – on his first day of riding in the South East – he booted home the winner of the final event.
That was on the much improved Darryl Dodson trained Bertwhistle which made it successive victories after winning at Horsham 10 days earlier.
Bertwhistle ($4.40-$7-$6.50) did it the hard way too at Penola, back last early before circling the field and hitting the front on the home turn.
The five-year-old mare kept responding for Chan to make it three wins from only seven starts, while the heavily backed favourite Queen’s
Palace ($3.40-$6-$3.30) ran fifth after getting no galloping room in the straight.
Racing in the district next heads to Naracoorte for its annual family day meeting on Sunday, January 7 before returning to Penola for the huge Coonawarra cup day fixture on Thursday, January 18.
Ride of the day: Melissa Julius (Playing Quietly)
Black bookers: Strategic Spice (looked the goods in easily winning her maiden); Shakamber (missed the start by six lengths and was only beaten three lengths); Queen’s Palace (never got a crack at them at any stage in the straight. Worth another chance)
