David Gilbert
USUALLY, the late transfer of race meetings to another track are anything but successful in relation to attendances.
Members and supporters of the local club concerned generally dig in their heels at the thought of travelling to a track outside of their patch.
Last Sunday however, the Apsley Racing Club bucked the trend in no uncertain manner when its annual race meeting was moved to Casterton due to ongoing problems with the Edenhope racecourse where they usually race.
In a magnificent rally of support, Apsley cup day turned out highly successful with at least three times the crowd for a normal Casterton meeting.
Admittedly, the meeting was moved 11 days prior which gave everyone plenty of time to make the adjustment.
The committees of the Apsley and Casterton racing clubs worked together brilliantly to ensure the day went off smoothly.
The three retired sportsmen who were guests for the day – jockey Glen Boss, the Irish AFL player Tadhg Kennelly and rugby player Michael Crocker – all made themselves available to the public during the afternoon.
Apsley Racing Club president Roger Pfitzner was thrilled with the day and admitted his committee is going to sit down and assess the future of Apsley cup day.
“Country Racing Victoria administrator Scott Whiteman has promised us support if we look at a change to either the date or venue of our annual race meeting in the future,” Pfitzner stated.
The Apsley club has raced at Edenhope ever since the Apsley track was closed in the 1960’s.
However, the Edenhope track is anything but the best wet weather track in the region.
Until 2015, the Apsley cup meeting was conducted in late March when the weather, and Edenhope track, was not a problem.
In 2016, the Apsley club moved its meeting to June on the Sunday of the long weekend, a prime date as many former Apsley residents took advantage of the weekend to come home and attend the 150th anniversary of the Apsley club.
On the six occasions Apsley has raced since 2016, three of those meetings have been transferred elsewhere (twice at Casterton and once at Hamilton).
There are three options for the Apsley committee to ponder over in the coming weeks.
One is to stay at Edenhope in June and hope and pray the weather and track come up trumps for the meeting to proceed.
Option two is to stay at Edenhope and move the meeting to a non-winter date.
The final option is to continue racing on the Sunday of the June long weekend and make Casterton the new base for the Apsley club.
Personally, I would lob for the latter as Casterton is a proven all weather track, a magnificent venue and it means the prime June long weekend date can be retained.
PERFECT RESULT
THERE was no joy for Limestone Coast stables at Casterton last Sunday but the Apsley cup came back across the border to Adelaide.
Morphettville trainer Travis Doudle sent one runner to Casterton with stable representative Stephen Theodore and was successful when the oddly-named Not Usual Glorious easily accounted for his rivals in the $50,000 Apsley cup.
Well supported to start favourite ($3.60), Not Usual Glorious was sent straight to the front by jockey Neil Farley and that was the last his 11 opponents saw of the pair.
“We are looking at picking up a couple of country cups with him this campaign and this has been a good start,” Theodore said post race.
Jockey Billy Egan rode three of the eight winners, two of those for leading trainer Patrick Payne.
Also rapt with the day was Warrnambool hobby trainer John Howard who had his first winner since 2006, although it must be pointed out he gave away training for some years.
Punters were not quite as enthusiastic with the victory, as his winner Pretty Boy was a $31 chance and stewards showed interest as to the gelding’s rapid improvement on recent offerings.
MOST WELCOME WINNER
MOUNT Gambier harness trainer Malcolm Whitehead made a welcome return to the winner’s list at Ararat last week.
The local hobby trainer was over the moon after Martin Magic caused a boilover in the three-year-old maiden with top driver Kerryn Manning in the cart.
Martin Magic dead heated for first when resuming from a three-and-a-half month spell here on Mount Gambier gold cup night on April 2 and had been placed a couple of times since but went to the barrier as a $23 chance at Ararat.
A poor barrier draw (10) did not help his cause and the three-year-old gelding settled towards the rear of the field for Manning.
At the 300-metre mark, Martin Magic seemed, at best, a place chance but unleashed a mighty sprint in the home straight to win running away by six metres.
The way he put his rivals away suggests there are more wins in store for the youngster.
Whitehead was not confident about his chances and did not have one cent on him, stating “you don’t know what he’s going to do next”.
However, the first prize of $3,990 and the fact Martin Magic is Vicbred meant Whitehead had a good day at the office in anyone’s language.
“All up, including the Vicbred bonus, it was worth about $11,000 to me,” he recalled earlier this week.
Prior to this year, Whitehead’s previous winner was Saab Magic here at Mount Gambier on November 27, 2015.
For Whitehead, who owns Martin Magic outright, the good fortunes could not have come at a better time.
“I had a stroke and Des “Whistle” Glynn, who bred Martin Magic, trained him for a while to help me out,” he said.
It is back over the border again for Martin Magic who faces the starter at Hamilton this afternoon, again to be driven by Manning and once again copping the visitor’s draw (barrier 9) in the final event.
MOUNT GALLOPS THIS SUNDAY
THERE are three race meetings left to conclude the 2021/22 Limestone Coast season and the first of those is this Sunday here at Allan Scott Glenburnie racecourse.
Despite the rain this week, there will be no worries about the meeting proceeding and a reading in the soft range can be expected.
The running rail, which was in the true position for the last meeting here (Millicent cup day), will be out at least five metres on Sunday.
Once again, big nominations have been received with plenty of interest from trainers over the border.
At Strathalbyn on Wednesday, Bordertown trainer Lindsay Cadzow broke a run of outs (32) when Thirty Two Guns ($21) won the 1600 metre maiden with Dylan Caboche in the saddle.
Cadzow’s previous winner was also at Strathalbyn on November 28, 2021 with Kilowatt.
COMING UP
Sunday, June 19: Mount Gambier gallops.
Sunday, June 26: Casterton gallops.
