By David Gilbert
THERE has been a change of venue for the upcoming Summer Cup meeting here in the Limestone Coast.
Originally it was scheduled for Bordertown but it was moved to Penola on Sunday, January 23 following consultation between officials of both clubs.
“Bordertown, who raced on January 5, were not that keen to race twice during January and we have agreed to the change,” Penola Racing Club president Mark Edwards said.
“We had to have our track up and ready for the meeting last week (Coonawarra cup day) so it was not a problem to keep it in order for another meeting 10 days later.”
The Summer Cup came into fruition back in 2004 as the brainchild of the Mount Gambier Racing Club and it was, for the first year only, a two-day meeting held on Friday 23/01/2004 and Sunday, 25/01, 2004.
It was held at Glenburnie until 2017 and not run in 2018 due to the track reconstruction.
Penola conducted the meeting in 2019 and for the past two years it has been run at Bordertown.
SECOND LOCAL CUP IN NINE MONTHS
TRAINER Sue Jaensch has won the most cups in the Limestone Coast and western Victoria during her career with the exceptions being the Mount Gambier and Coonawarra Vignerons cups.
The trophy for the latter is now in the Sue and Jason Jaensch stable following a narrow victory by Cuban Toonite ($5) in the feature race at Penola last week.
Up until the cup last Thursday, leaders had won every race, causing punters to scan for on pace gallopers but Cuban Toonite upset that theory by coming from second last at the 700 metres.
A smart move by apprentice Ben Price won the race shortly after when he took off around the field on Cuban Toonite to reach the lead at the top of the straight and snatched a winning lead.
That couple of length buffer proved vital as the favourite Sebonna ($2.25-$3.10) rapidly reeled in the margin to lose in a photo finish with Bossy Britches third.
It was the second cup success for Cuban Toonite at Penola in the past year, having won the Penola cup (also over 1700 metres) back in early April.
“Young Ben has now had five rides for us for four wins, so we are keen to book him for the ride in the Naracoorte cup next month,” stable spokesman Bruce Jaensch stated.
“It was a good effort first up by Cuban Toonite when second at Strathalbyn in November and he was knocked over at the top of the straight when unplaced last start in Adelaide.”
Peter Hardacre was the only Mount Gambier trainer to have a winner at Penola when Magicourt ($1.85-$3.40 fav.) led all the way in the 1100 metre maiden.
The victory was warmly received on track as the three-year-old filly has several owners from around Penola and races in the colours of the Penola Football Club (blue and white).
Her betting drift occurred due to massive backing for the first starter Dustin Dhahran ($18-$5.50) and the big plunge only failed by a long neck.
Murray Bridge based Jarrod Lynch gave jumps riding away last year when jumps racing was banned in SA and had his first winner as a trainer when Miss Harmonium rattled home from near last to win the final event.
PEAR SHAPED SINCE NEW YEAR
YOU had to feel sorry for the Penola Racing Club last week in regards to the Coonawarra Vignerons cup meeting.
Up until Christmas everything appeared rosy with expectations of a big crowd following the relaxing of Covid rules.
The Coonawarra Vignerons function for invited guests was back on the agenda until Covid cases soared here in the Limestone Coast after New Year.
That saw the much anticipated function cancelled and many would-be racegoers opted not to attend either, resulting in the smallest Coonawarra Vignerons cup crowd in its 40-year history.
Those who did attend were then forced to wear masks, even outside, except when seated and it was strictly enforced all day by security and the Penola police.
That did not go down well with many in the crowd and it was something I have never experienced previously at local race meetings.
So, who brought in the ruling at Penola last week?
“We are only doing what the local police have directed,” Penola Racing Club president Mark Edwards stated on the day.
There was a line of thought amongst attendees that it may have been a backlash from what happened at Robe on New Year’s Eve which resulted in the virus super spreading.
FAR DIFFERENT APPROACH
OVER the border, Victorians seem to have an entirely different attitude and approach to attending country race meetings at present.
Perhaps it is because they were in lockdown for a much longer period than most other Aussies and they are now relishing their freedom and the opportunity of having a day out at the races.
At Camperdown last Saturday there were nearly 2,000 people in attendance (three times the number at Penola), scattered all around the course and there was not a mask to be seen.
This comes on top of excellent crowds at Nhill and Burrumbeet in the past three weeks.
The vast majority of the crowd at Camperdown were under 40 years of age and it was a happy, carefree atmosphere all day.
It seemed every football, cricket and netball club in the vicinity had decided to support the Camperdown club for its once a year meeting.
“Taking all things into account, it was a successful day as we usually get 2,500 patrons attend this meeting and to be down a few hundred is a very good result,” Camperdown club manager Karen Van Kempen said.
When I was last there, the old, wooden grandstand was closed to the public because of its poor condition, but it has been restored and was in full use last Saturday.
The derelict wooden structure which was the public bar is still standing (just) and a new bar and undercover, paved betting ring is now available for everyone.
Mount Gambier trainer Wayne Walters did bookmakers a favour when Aeroette ($31) resumed from a six month spell and led all the way for jockey/daughter Kate Walters in the 1400 metre maiden.
It was Walters’ first success since returning to the training ranks in October last year and his first winner since Zabextra saluted at Sale on 20/12/2020.
BROUGHT HOME THE BACON
TWENTY three South Eastern trained pacers headed to Hamilton for its cup day program last Sunday, and only one stable returned home a winner.
That was the David Phillips stable when Badluckbaz ($6.50) put up a huge performance to win race four.
Badluckbaz started from the outside of the second row (10) being working hard outside the leader and still proved too good in defeating fellow locals True Blue Rose and Loco Sheffield.
Local harness racing is at the Greenwald Paceway tonight (see fields this edition) with the first of four races at 7.44pm.
