By David Gilbert
MUCH improved galloper Goliotus, the least experienced galloper in the field, stepped up to a new level by winning last Sunday’s $32,000 Millicent Cup here at Glenburnie.
At start number 20, the Ricky Bruhn trained gelding won his fourth race this season with a victory in the final cup of the 2022/23 Limestone Coast racing season.
The five-year-old gelding was backed from $9.50 into $7 possibly on the strength of his all-the-way success in similar heavy conditions at Bendigo last August.
There was no incentive to back Goliotus on his previous two runs before Sunday, with a last of seven in the Bordertown Cup last December, followed by a 10th of 11 when resuming during the Warrnambool cup carnival almost a month ago.
Jockey Caitlin Jones had Goliotus in front with a lap to run last Sunday and the pair were never headed or seriously challenged thereafter.
It was an all Mount Gambier trifecta with Fast ‘N’ Forward five lengths away in second spot ahead of the fast-finishing Muntham Missile.
The Murray Bridge visitor Prince Joffa was heavily backed to start favourite ($4.20-$3.20) and ran home stoutly from last for fourth.
Hopes were high that the Millicent Cup would be heading to that town when Bear Arms met with strong support ($9-$3.90), but the mare never raised her backer’s hopes at any stage.
The huge winner for the day was the Glenburnie track itself which absorbed the dumping of rain in the 18 hours leading up to the meeting and came through with flying colours.
Had that amount of rain fallen five years ago prior to a meeting here, there is no doubt the meeting would have been abandoned.
On Sunday morning the track reading was quickly downgraded from a Soft 6 to a Heavy10, but there was no need for concern as the drainage ensured racing was held on a heavy but safe surface.
The decision by Millicent officials to revamp the cup calcutta this year proved a big plus.
“We had around 100 people turn up, a big increase on recent years and we are looking at making it even bigger next year,” Millicent Racing Club committeeman Rick Grimes stated.
“Terry McAuliffe presented a phantom call of a Millicent Cup comprising the best Millicent horses over the years and it was very well received.”
Not surprisingly, Redelva won the phantom call.
LOCAL TRAINERS REAPED THE BENEFITS
HAVING the Millicent cup meeting here at Glenburnie proved very beneficial for Mount Gambier trainers.
Five of the eight winners came from local stables, one from Naracoorte and two from Murray Bridge.
There were some good collects in the opening event when the Jamie Opperman trained Ofcourse I Will was backed into favouritism at only his second career run.
A step up in grade did not stop the outsider Anrushka ($15) leading all the way for the Richard Nicholson stable in the BM 68 handicap.
Another winner at double figure odds was the Michael O’Leary trained Action In Cairns ($12), who relished the heavy conditions and was ridden a treat by Dominic Tourneur to win the BM 58 handicap.
Barely a Limestone Coast meeting goes by these days without Wayne Walters (trainer) and daughter/jockey Kate providing a winner.
This time it was Last Dream ($7-$5 equal fav.) who finished strongly to take out the 0-54 handicap.
Limestone Coast racing continues this Sunday with a seven-race card at Bordertown where, once again, very good nominations were received.
STARTED THE FINNIS DYNASTY
HARNESS racing followers were saddened to learn of the passing of Doug Finnis last week.
Anyone involved with local harness racing will know what an impact the Finnis family have had in the past 50 years on the local trotting scene.
It was Doug who got the Finnis name into the industry after he took a fancy to Margaret Hallion (daughter of local harness racing trainer Maurie Hallion) over 65 years ago who later went on to become his wife.
Doug had plenty of success as a driver and a trainer and many will recall his best horse Brolea who went on to win five races in Melbourne in the early days of trotting at Moonee Valley.
He was a committeeman and life member of the Mount Gambier Harness Racing Club and had Mount Gambier gold cup winners in successive years as the trainer and driver of Brolea (1980) and Conmurra Spring (1981).
Apart from harness racing, Doug was also a good footballer (played in a West Gambier premiership) and a handy athlete over middle distances.
His son Barry then got the trotting bug and drove a Mount Gambier gold cup winner in 1984 (Carbon Gold for local trainer Ray Lattin) and then had success in later years in the feature race as the trainer of Paris To Berlin (2014) and Royal Speech (2022).
Now we have Doug’s grandson Jayson heavily involved in the sport and he was in the sulky when Royal Speech won the cup last year.
A celebration of Doug’s life will be held in the A & H Society committee room at the Greenwald Paceway this afternoon from 2pm.
WINNERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER
WINNING races at Globe Derby Park is nothing new for Naracoorte trainer Greg Scholefield these days and he chalked up a double there on Saturday night with pacers resuming from spells.
Dino Mo ($11), a newcomer to the stable, won the opening race courtesy of a brilliant Gaita Pullicino drive which enabled Dino Mo to lead for the last two laps after coming off a second row draw.
Then young driver Corey Johnson was able to lead from gate four with stablemate Rakero Storm ($3) to take out the NR 51 pace in quick time.
Stawell last Monday saw two locals come home winners, starting with the Andrew Clarke trained Luv Me Or Hate Me in the NR 55 pace.
Luv Me Or Hate Me started the $2.50 favourite following two recent placings and led all the way for claiming driver Declan Murphy.
Trainer/driver Brent Howard seized the initiative at the 600-metre mark of the NR 51 pace when he set Burning Hot alight from back in the field and found himself clearly in front 300 metres later.
Burning Hot ($8.50) was never threatened thereafter and bolted in by nine metres.
Local trainer Kevin Von Duve’s decision to transfer 2023 Mount Gambier gold cup winner Springfield Affair to Terang trainer Marg Lees has already paid off.
With regular driver Lochie Cook in the sulky, Springfield Affair ($3.90) led all the way at Melton on Saturday night to win the $30,000 metropolitan pace final.
APSLEY CUP NEXT
CUP racing in the region heads to Edenhope on Sunday week (June 11) for the Apsley cup meeting.
Edenhope racecourse is only used twice a year for racing and, in the past decade, the annual meeting for the Apsley Racing Club on the June long weekend has easily become the best attended meeting.
On Saturday night (June 10), an Adelaide band will fire up the Apsley hall for a cabaret, then the same band will entertain racegoers on race day.
Also on the Saturday for the keen and energetic is the Tour De Frances (a bike ride from Apsley to Frances and return with lunch at the Frances hotel) which makes a comeback after an absence due to Covid.
