VETERAN sprinter Miss Joolia showed she has not lost any of her zest for racing with a late burst to win the BM 72 handicap, the feature race at Naracoorte on Monday.
Renown for her strong finishes, Miss Joolia again had to rely on that trait to reel in the well backed Colac visitor Roycey ($7.50-$4.40) which was being hailed the winner for much of the final 300 metres.
Now an eight year old, Miss Joolia returned to racing from a three-month spell to register win number nine and take her career earnings to $188,140.
Normally the mare gets well back in her races, but jockey Declan Bates had her poised in third spot on the rails early in proceedings and the victory ended a couple of good days for trainer Darryl Dodson.
At Gawler the previous day, Bertwhistle made it a hat-trick of wins when winning his first city race for the stable.
Bianmagic dropped back substantially in distance from his previous outing in the Nhill cup and rattled home for third.
Racing was conducted on a Good 4 surface and, for once, Naracoorte trainers did not dominate their home meeting and their only winner came in the final race.
Money was spot on
FAVOURITE backers were off to a flyer when Fox On The Run easily accounted for her rivals in the opening event.
Fox On The Run, placed at two of three runs this campaign prior to Monday, was backed with great confidence, firming from $4 to $2.30 favourite.
Her backers were even more confident shortly after the start when apprentice Raquel Clark had the Jenny Gow-Whyte trained mare in the box seat behind the leaders.
Once into the straight, Fox On The Run burst clear with 150 metres to go to give Gow-Whyte an ideal start to the New Year, as it was her first local winner this season.
The outsider Silent Sway made up many lengths to grab third spot and may pay to follow in a mile maiden or similar.
It was a complete contrast for punters in the 1430 metre maiden when one of the outsiders pipped more fancied runners in the shadows of the post.
Atomic Knight ($16-$41), trained at Horsham by Limestone Coast racing starter Simon Gebert, showed dramatic improvement at his third career run, following a 10th at Swan Hill in July and last of nine recently at Penshurst.
It was possibly a career-best ride by apprentice Sairyn Fawke, as the youngster never left the rails after easing Atomic Knight back to last shortly after the start from the extreme outside barrier.
For most of the straight, it seemed the fancied pair of the favourite Solazem and Try Try Try ($8-$5) would fight the finish out until Fawke secured another rails run to grab the spoils in the last few strides.
Unbeaten in Oz
MUCH travelled galloper Cronauer maintained his unbeaten record on Australian soil with a decisive victory in the class two handicap.
After winning his maiden at Mildura in April, 2016, Cronauer was sent to Hong Kong where he was unplaced from four starts.
Monday was his first run back in Australia and the Michael Hickmott (Murray Bridge) trained gelding received good support ($4.50-$3.40) at his first run from a seven-month spell
Cronauer was very wide on the home turn, but it mattered not as he powered over the top of his rivals to beat our outsider of the day Bahgallah Bantan ($61), which briefly looked the winner half way up the straight.
The favourite Squadron Leader was a disappointing fourth after having every chance, while there was support for the stablemates Hasta La Red ($34-$18) and Hasta La Spec ($21-$13) which finished fifth and ninth respectively.
Mount Gambier jockey Kate Walters had her easiest winning ride for some time aboard No Fairy for her father/trainer Wayne Walters in the 2000 metre BM 64 handicap.
The best backed runner in the race, it was little more than a training gallop for No Fairy ($3.80-$3.10) which went straight to the lead and had the race won as far as 600 metres from home.
That win was enough for Walters to momentarily take the lead in the 2017-18 Limestone Coast trainer’s premiership, ahead on placings of Sue Jaensch.
In winning by nearly nine lengths, No Fairy made it two wins from as many starts at Naracoorte, having won on a heavy track there in mid November.
Jaensch saddled up the easing favourite Cheners ($2-$2.70) which finished a distant second and never looked a winning possibility.
Luck changed
COLAC trainer Russell Bell and veteran Murray Bridge jockey Wayne Kerford may have been narrowly denied a winner in race five with Roycey, but the pair atoned 35 minutes later when Override ran his rivals ragged in the 1000 metre BM 64 handicap.
The gelding was overlooked by most punters after his first-up fifth at Penshurst last month when he led and was run over, but there were no dangers over the final furlong on Monday.
It was Bell’s first winner in the Limestone Coast and ensured a sweet four hour plus return journey.
The former Northern Territory performer Going Gaga (fifth) met with solid support ($4.20-$2.30 fav.) but never raised his backer’s hopes at any stage.
Jaensch regained top position on the trainer’s premiership when the Naracoorte mentor supplied the quinella in the final event.
Considering Crystal Glass is a track specialist at Naracoorte, the mare was amazing odds ($11) in the 1430 metre BM handicap and was responsible for another big effort after being last at the half-way mark.
Crystal Glass has the excellent credentials of four wins and a second from five Naracoorte starts, all of those wins being over the 1430 metre trip.
Racing in the region goes up several notches next week with what will be the biggest meeting for 2018 in the Limestone Coast, that being the staging of the very popular Coonawarra cup meeting at Penola on Thursday, January 18.
Ride of the day: Sairyn Fawke (Atomic Knight).
Black booker: Silent Sway (in a mile maiden or further).
Trial winners: Inayforhay (Paul Preusker); Hasta La Bounty (Sue Murphy).
