David Gilbert
STAWELL trainer Andrew Bobbin won his first Edenhope cup last Saturday primarily due to a brilliant ride by apprentice Jacob Opperman aboard Catskill Mountain.
The five-year-old gelding had won two of his previous starts but was ignored by punters ($3-$3.60) when the money arrived for the Peter Hardacre trained Thrill Kill ($3.60-$2.80 fav.)
Catskill Mountain cruised into the race at the 600 metres and romped home to an easy three-length win ahead of Thrill Kill, with the Bordertown galloper Hanslette in third spot.
That gave Opperman his second country cup success in 2023 after taking out the Coonawarra cup in January on Wild Willy.
Given the perfect conditions, crowd numbers for Edenhope’s annual meeting were below expectations.
Mount Gambier trainer Barry Carraill has had an affinity with Edenhope races going back several years.
His brief career as a racecaller started (and ended the same afternoon) at Edenhope and his last winner prior to Saturday was with the 80/1 chance Truporth at Edenhope two years ago.
Carraill was back in the winner’s stall last Saturday when Alblazer ($8) deservedly broke through to win the 1850-metre maiden.
Alblazer had previously run two excellent races at Warrnambool and his victory was one of four for the day for journeyman jockey Anthony Darmanin.
The Victorian based Darmanin is normally a fly in/fly out jockey for Tasmanian race meetings and he recalled his days as Michael O’Leary’s apprentice.
That was around 20 years ago when O’Leary was based at Hamilton while the Mount Gambier track was being reconstructed.
“I remember those days fondly and Michael certainly had a big influence on my career,” Darmanin stated.
“I was thrilled to catch up with him in Darwin last year.”
Mount Gambier trainer Richard Nicholson destroyed most quadrella punters when Anrushka ($13) fought back doggedly to win the 1200-metre 0-58 handicap, beating fellow Mount Gambier runner Load And Go.
To end a good day for the locals, the Jamie Opperman trained West Cliff ($12-$15) ran home strongly from mid-field to win the 1850-metre 0-58 handicap for Ballarat jockey Jarrod Lorensini.
BUCHAN TICKED OFF
LAST year, I mentioned how a trip to Buchan races in far eastern Victoria’s high country was on my bucket list.
That has now been ticked off following the club’s annual race meeting last month and I was fortunate in more ways than one in regards to the weather and accommodation at the small town of around 400 people.
Perfect summer weather for the five day sojourn and getting the last room in the town’s only motel (eight rooms) set the scene for an idyllic break.
The meeting is for amateur riders and all horses and jockeys for the races have to travel some distance due to the remoteness of the Canni Creek track.
I did not know what to expect in regards to accommodation but can report it was absolutely first class.
The motel is reached up a narrow mountain track with superb views overlooking the town and valley.
To sit on your balcony on a warm morning, enjoying breakfast and watching a dozen kangaroos feeding less than 20 metres away is, to me, the perfect Aussie start to any day.
The racecourse is 14 kilometres out of town in dense scrub, so there was ample shade from the many trees (along with heaps of shade cloths) for the crowd of 1,500 comprising all ages in the 33 degree heat.
A water tanker was used throughout the day, not to water the grass track but to settle the dust on the roads leading into and throughout the racecourse.
Although it was a non-TAB meeting, I was somewhat amazed to find there was no on-course tote, but club secretary Ian Dunkley was quick to explain.
“We have no power and rely solely on a generator to conduct our meeting,” he said.
With no opposition from the tote or corporate bookmakers, it meant the five bookies operating on the local meeting had a field day, putting up cramped odds which brought back memories of years ago on country racetracks around the nation.
I will give credit to the two bookmakers betting on Melbourne and the interstate meetings as they did bet the odds offered by fixed odds as shown on the two Sky channel screens.
Racecaller Bill Quinn got it relatively easy as, between the 900 metre and 400 metre mark, the horses disappeared behind the thick trees in the middle of the racecourse, leaving him to ad lib for around 40 seconds until the horses reappeared.
The cup winner came from near last on the home turn, leading Quinn to spruik “and here’s Laststrikeyourout storming home with steam coming out of his nostrils”.
A souvenir stall sold 19 items of merchandise ranging from bottle openers to bar mats and framed commemorative posters.
There were 25 kids in their foot race and 12 in the version for adults, while there were fashions on the field for four different ages plus a children’s lolly drop.
It is one of the biggest social and sporting days of the year for the local community (along with the Buchan rodeo) and many of the local clubs and organisations benefit from the day.
In 2022, local “charities” (as published in the racebook) such as the bush nursing centre, pony club, children’s centre, football and netball club, primary school and cricket club all received donations from the racing club as a result of the race meeting.
The local football club has an unusual nickname, not one of your regulation types such as Magpies, Tigers or Hawks, but under the banner of “the Cavemen” because of the famous Buchan caves in the middle of town.
This year, the Buchan primary school volunteers manned the sausage stall at the races and, not surprisingly, were kept flat out as a sausage with onions and a generous serving of salad was a steal at $3.
The old, wooden public bar was run by the local hotel and they seemingly had forgotten to update the price board from a few years ago, as a can of beer was $5 and a can of spirits was $8.
WINS A WORLD APART
WHAT are the chances of a full brother and sister (pacers) winning within hours in two different hemispheres?
Almost nil.
It happened last Sunday week when the Alyce Finnis trained Sadie Jayne won at Boort just hours after her brother Juddy Douglas (formerly trained by Finnis) won at Freehold in New Jersey (USA).
Since being sold to America, Juddy Douglas has been on fire, with four wins (two at Yonkers in New York and two at Freehold), two seconds and two thirds from 10 starts.
At Horsham last Monday, two local trainers had success with the David Drury trained and driven Mikispur ($3.90) blousing the favourite in the opening race.
Drury made it a driving double when the Greg Scholefield trained Hanging Fire ($10.50) appreciated the drop back in distance from his fading sixth in our Gold Cup to lead all the way in the NR 56-66 pace.
TRIPLE FRIDAY TREAT
THE next three Fridays will see racing and trotting here in Mount Gambier.
Today is race day at Glenburnie, the first of two meetings in March for the club, with the first of seven races at 1.30pm.
Next Friday night (March 24), there is harness racing (sponsor’s night) out at the Greenwald Paceway.
A fortnight today on March 31 is Mount Gambier Gold Cup day for the gallops.
