David Gilbert
IT had to be seen to be believed.
At the 500-metre mark of last Friday’s $55,000 Mount Gambier Gold Cup, the heavily backed favourite Clever Man had been shuffled back to mid-field and boxed in after a trouble-free run until then.
By the time they reached the famous dog-leg, his backers had virtually given up all hope of collecting as Clever Man was seemingly in a hopeless position with apprentice Zoe Lloyd still looking for a clear run.
Shortly after, the long awaited gaps appeared and racegoers witnessed the most explosive burst that you could wish to see by a stayer at the end of a 2050-metre race.
To the roars of his hometown crowd, Clever Man ($4-$2.60 fav.) reeled in the leader Lord Golsberg to win by half a length and record back-to-back Mount Gambier cup victories.
“I’ve never had a horse sprint that quick for me,” Lloyd stated after one of the biggest wins of her career.
Lloyd, who only recently arrived in South Australia from Victoria, is apprenticed to Murray trainer Sue Jaensch and only got the ride on Clever Man when regular hoop Ben Price incurred the wrath of stewards recently and was suspended.
“What a ride by Zoe,” a clearly excited trainer, Trevor White stated after Clever Man had chalked up his third country cup success in the space of 12 months.
The effort of the runner-up Lord Goldberg was first class, as the gelding is still a restricted class galloper and he sat three wide for the race and was being hailed the winner until the shadows of the post.
Some interest in the cup was robbed when multi cups winner Farooq was a late scratching due to the track being downgraded from a Soft 6 to a Soft 7 earlier in the day.
The original plan was for Clever Man to be spelled after the Mount Gambier cup, but such was his finishing burst that he was five lengths in front 100 metres after the winning post.
“Despite having 11 runs this campaign, he is still at his peak and he will run in the $107,250 Onkaparinga cup over 2150 metres at Oakbank tomorrow,” White explained.
Due to a mix up with rider bookings, senior jockey Samuel Payne will be in the saddle and not an apprentice.
It was suggested to White that, on the strength of Clever Man’s Mount Gambier cup brilliant win, perhaps a start in next month’s rich Warrnambool cup may be on the horizon.
“I’ve had plenty of people suggest that but It’s getting pretty tough to take on a Warrnambool cup field and he’s not that smart,” was White’s candid reply.
CLUB WRONGLY CRITICIZED
THERE were plenty of angry punters at Glenburnie last Friday, some of whom incorrectly pointed the finger at the Mount Gambier Racing Club for the lack of tote windows open.
Instead of nine tote outlets, only four were open and it was all the fault of Racing SA administration in Adelaide.
“We booked and paid for five tote staff to fly down for the day, but they did not arrive as Racing SA forgot to get them on the plane,” Mount Gambier Racing Club president Peter George explained.
“Vaughn Lynch, (Racing SA CEO) was very apologetic in a text he sent me on Monday.”
NEARLY A CLEAN SWEEP
LOCAL trainers had no reason to complain about the track at Glenburnie on cup day as they won six of the eight races and were narrowly beaten in the other two.
Female jockeys almost had a clean sweep of the program, winning seven races.
Jockey Kate Walters and her father/trainer Wayne continued their recent good run and both chalked up doubles.
As a result, Wayne Walters is now the leading trainer in the Limestone Coast this season, while Kate is second on the jockey’s ladder behind Harry Grace.
Those who backed the Vanessa Hutchinson trained Dale’s Rocket in the opening event from $5 into $2.80 favourite were looking for the payout queue at the 400-metre mark when the six-year-old gelding established a commanding lead.
It was the bookmakers who were cheering after the 1200-metre maiden plate when the Bob and Kane Post trained Fine Things defied a betting drift ($9-$15) to break her maiden status at start number 23.
The Volcano handicap went to the Peter Hardacre trained Chill With Teejay, a winner at the same meeting 12 months ago, who defeated the very unlucky Maracourt.
Obviously on a high after her cup success, Zoe Lloyd made it a double in as many races by winning the final race on the Jamie Opperman trained Thanasi, who gunned down the grey gelding The Ladies Man in the very last stride.
CUP DAY CROWD A CONCERN
HOPEFUL predictions a month ago by senior Mount Gambier racing officials of a cup day crowd of between three and four thousand turned out to be wishful thinking.
Showers during the day did not help the club’s cause but to get the crowd they did has to be a concern for a club with provincial status.
Club officials came up with a crowd of around 1,600, but some seasoned Glenburnie racegoers reckon that was an inflated figure by around 300-400.
There has been a mass exodus of regular cup day attendees in recent years, stalwarts who years ago would never think for one moment of missing Mount Gambier cup day.
Up until a few years ago, buses brought racegoers to the cup from places such as Nelson, Millicent and Beachport, but not any more.
Yet, just up the Riddoch Highway, 2023 cup day crowds have returned in droves to pre-Covid days.
The Coonawarra cup crowd at Penola in January was just like the old days and Naracoorte cup day in February had the best crowd for many years.
The big winner for the Mount Gambier club during cup week was the attendance at the club’s calcutta at the new venue (the Globe), which was well received by those present and led to a big calcutta pool.
PENOLA CUP THIS SUNDAY
THE penultimate Limestone Coast cup meeting for the season is Penola cup day at Penola this Sunday for the popular family race day, with tickets available at the gate.
There are free kids activities including running races, a jumping castle, glitter tattoos and the annual visit from the Easter Bunny.
Despite being only nine days after the Mount Gambier cup fixture, the Penola club was rewarded with 94 runners for the eight-race program.
IN PEAK FORM
It was Ararat cup night last Friday and local stables well and truly made an impact on the meeting, with three winners.
Recent Mount Gambier cup winner Springfield Affair has never raced in better form and won his third race from his past five starts for trainer Kevin Von Duve.
That was in the NR 57-68 pace when, at the good odds of $11, Springfield Affair led all the way for driver Lochie Cook to beat fellow local Royal Speech.
The Bill Drury trained Noosa Beach ($2.10 fav.) was driven a treat by James Herbertson to win the NR 46-54 pace by half a neck.
It would have been a late arrival home for the Alyce Finnis stable as her runner Line Of Jacqui was in race 11 at 10.38pm.
But the return trip was made much easier when the mare, having only her second career start after a debut fourth at Horsham, proved too strong as the $1.70 favourite in the maiden pace after racing outside the leader for driver Jayson Finnis.
