By David Gilbert
IT did not take long for the talented local galloper Royal Mile to find winning form this campaign.
Last season, in his first year of racing, Royal Mile made a huge impression on South Australian racing by winning five of his nine starts, three of those at metropolitan level.
At his second start this preparation, Royal Mile regained winning form with a comprehensive victory in the BM 82 handicap over 1550 metres at Morphettville last Saturday.
The betting suggested the four-year-old gelding would improve significantly on his first-up fifth at the same venue three weeks previous when Royal Mile raced wide for much of the trip.
Local apprentice Jacob Opperman, in racking up his fifth city win this season, did his part last Saturday by having the Lee Creek trained galloper in second spot at the girth of Noir De Rue until the top of the straight.
Royal Mile ($2.40-$2-$2.20 fav.) then stamped his authority to go on and win by nearly a length and take his career earnings to $232,880 with Opperman in the saddle at all 11 starts.
Royal Mile started his racing career 13 months ago when second in a Penola maiden and all of his six wins have come this year.
BOTTLENECK AT THE TOP
WE have entered the second quarter of the racing season with a plethora of trainers and jockeys in contention for premiership honours here in the Limestone Coast.
Following the meeting at Penola last Sunday the jockey’s title is wide open, with four principal players at the moment.
Strathalbyn based Justin Potter has been coming to the Limestone Coast for many years and has never won a local title.
It would perhaps be fitting if the likeable hoop could win it as he enters the twilight of his riding career.
Potter notched a winning double at Penola and has the narrowest of leads (6 wins, 4 seconds and 7 thirds) over Adelaide jockey Dominic Tourneur (6, 2, 2).
Hot on their heels are last year’s winner Jacob Opperman (5, 5, 2) and the Adelaide based Kayla Crowther (5, 5, 2).
It is even tighter for trainer’s honours with five trainers on four wins each.
The Bob and Kane Post combination (4, 6, 8) have taken the lead after the win by Melissa Kate at Penola on Sunday, ahead of Sue and Jason Jaensch (4, 4, 4), Michael O’Leary (4, 3, 3), Darryl Dodson (4, 2, 4) and Lee Creek (4, 1, 0).
CENTURY OF WINNERS FOR TEENAGER
NOBODY in their wildest dreams would ever have envisaged local apprentice Jacob Opperman chalking up 100 winners in his first 19 months of riding.
However, that is the amazing scenario for the Mingbool teenager, with the magical ton coming up in the final race at Penola last Sunday.
Opperman started his race riding career in April last year and went into last weekend with 97 winners, before riding one winner in Adelaide on Saturday and then a double at Penola.
His first winner at Penola was for his father/trainer Jamie Opperman with Mulga Lil leading nearly all the way to take out the 1700-metre BM 62 handicap.
Opperman’s milestone came aboard the Lee Creek trained Wild Willy who is emerging as a real talent, with a hat-trick of wins already this season in the Limestone Coast.
Once again, Wild Willy defied a betting drift ($2.40-$3.50) but was always the one to beat from the 600-metre mark.
Justin Potter also finished the day with a double and both his rides were candidates for ride of the day.
Co-trainers Bob and Kane Post continue to rack up winners on the local circuit and were in the winner’s stall after Melissa Kate broke her maiden status at her fourth run this campaign.
Most punters alive in the treble and quadrella were blown out of the water with the win of the Sharon Hayes trained Dabay in the 1100-metre BM 62 handicap.
Although Dabay ($19-$41) was resuming from an eight-month spell, the gelding was not without a chance and put up a huge effort to score for apprentice Ben Price after being three wide all the way.
It was member’s day for the Penola club but the attendance was down on expectations.
It was fortunate that a bus load from the Port MacDonnell hotel social club helped boost numbers to add colour and atmosphere to the day.
Horses to follow from Penola are Wild Willy and Dr Dee, the latter responsible for a good third after dawdling out of the barriers at his first run since July.
EFFORTS ACKNOWLEDGED
In the local racing sphere, Naomi Mitchell is the finance administration officer for the Mount Gambier Racing Club and is the person behind the counter when you enter the secretary’s office.
Mitchell has more than one bow to her string and attended a lavish function at the Adelaide Oval last week to receive a merit award for her services to country football in South Australia.
For 13 years she has been the efficient secretary of the Mid South East football league while husband Peter had been president of the league for the same period.
At the same function, Peter received the award as the administrator of the year for SA country football in 2021, no mean effort as he is the first president to win the award.
Make no mistake, the reason the Mid South East Football League has been so stable with no rocking of the boat this century in contrast to surrounding leagues is due primarily to the dedication, expertise and hard work undertaken by the Mitchells.
FAVOURITES DOWN THE GURGLER
JUST the three races for the resumption of harness racing at the Greenwald Paceway last Friday night and not one favourite saluted.
Driver Mark Phillips won the first two races and his chances of driving the program looked extremely strong with Badluckbaz the odds-on favourite in the last race.
A patient Phillips drive enabled the Steve Fennell trained Miss Peggy O’Neill ($4) to overrun the leaders in the dying stages of the opening event.
It was easy pickings for the second leg of his double when Springfield Affair ($3.60) was untroubled to lead all the way from barrier six.
The $1.35 favourite Royal Speech ruined his chances by galloping on the final turn, but it is debatable as to whether he was travelling well enough at the time to beat Springfield Affair.
The chances of Badluckbaz and the well backed Smooth Techy ($4-$2.90) in the final event were not helped when the pair raced keenly in the lead.
That played into the hands of veteran driver Kevin Brough who bided his time with the $14 chance Betterthan A Kiss and the Rebecca East trained pacer prevailed by nearly three metres.
Only a small crowd took advantage of a perfect Limestone Coast night to be outdoors.
COMING UP
Tomorrow: Dunkeld gallops (public not allowed).
Next Friday (November 19): Naracoorte gallops (tradie’s day: twilight meeting; all welcome); Mount Gambier trots (all welcome).
Saturday, November 20: Penshurst gallops (all welcome).
