By David Gilbert
NARACOORTE racecourse will again be the venue for the Limestone Coast Thoroughbred Racing awards luncheon on Sunday, August 6.
The various premierships will be presented to Wayne Walters (trainer), Kate Walters (jockey), Jacob Opperman (apprentice) and Ricky Bruhn (restricted trainer).
The public are welcome to be part of the day which includes a three-course meal, beer, wine and soft drink, all for the cost of $80.
Bookings are essential and can be made with Sally Matheson (0407 522 459).
With regular compare Kevin “K.D.” Douglas having retired after excellent service for more than 20 years, well known local racing/harness man Barry Carraill will undertake the emcee duties.
Carraill has always had the gift of the gab and undertook emcee duties at the gallops on Mount Gambier cup day back in March.
Guest speaker will be Adelaide’s Terry McAuliffe who needs no introduction to the racing fraternity.
McAuliffe was a race caller for many years in Adelaide (RadioTAB) and Melbourne (with 3UZ), and became this state’s number one race commentator in the late 1990’s, replacing Ron Papps.
Since retiring from that caper about four years ago, he has become the anchor man for SA racing on television with Racing.com.
CLASS ABOVE RIVALS
FIVE-year-old gelding Goliotus won his fifth race (and second country cup) this season with an emphatic victory in last Saturday’s Marma cup over 2050 metres at Murtoa.
A solid second favourite at $4.40, Goliotus was ridden for the first time by Melissa Julius and again showed his liking for rain affected going.
That complimented his Millicent cup success in May and, according to trainer Ricky Bruhn, “he probably should have won the Apsley cup in June as well”.
Julius tracked the favourite, and leader, Bainbridge until the 400-metre mark where she railed through to set up a handy lead.
Some thought she may have made her run too early but there were no dangers as Goliotus strolled clear to win by nearly three lengths.
“Melissa has ridden a fair bit for the stable over the past few years and won on Carak and Zeydana in recent times,” Bruhn added.
“It is getting hard to find suitable races for Goliotus, however there is a race for him in a few weeks time in Adelaide and he may even go to Melbourne for a run in the meantime.
“I’m getting older and travelling to Melbourne is a six-hour trip if the races are at Sandown and it is not near as appealing as it once was.”
FINALISTS NAMED
THE annual Limestone Coast Horse of the Year awards will be presented early next month at Naracoorte and the finalists in both categories have been released.
For performances anywhere and for gallopers trained in the Limestone Coast, four horses caught the judge’s eyes.
Two of them are debatably the best two stayers in South Australian racing this season.
Clever Man and Hasta La War starred during the autumn with victories in feature races such as the Onkaparinga cup (Clever Man) and the Port Adelaide cup (Hasta La War).
Not to be outdone, Muntham Missile made her mark by winning two country Victorian cups with ease, namely the Hamilton and Casterton cups.
With a win at Bendigo last October and more recent success in the Millicent and Marma cups, Goliotus has suddenly emerged as a late candidate.
It was a much more difficult battle for the judges to sort out the finalists for the other Horse of the Year award (for horses trained anywhere and for performances solely on Limestone Coast tracks).
Six gallopers won three local races, namely Action In Cairns, Carak, Fast ‘N’ Forward, Goliotus, Melissa Kate and Turf Decision.
Clever Man also made the cut for this award as his three runs (for two wins and a second) were in higher grade races.
MADE THE RECORD BOOKS
ONLY the much older generation will recall the deeds of former local jockey Kevin Murnane at Kalangadoo races over 50 years ago.
There were six races at the now defunct track, five flat races and a hurdle, and Murnane made it into the Guinness book of records by riding all five flat winners.
Murnane moved to the South East from Melbourne as an apprentice and leading Naracoorte trainer Tommy Neale was his mentor.
As a senior rider in 1962-63, he won the South East District Racing Association jockey’s premiership with a total of 28 winners.
Murnane passed away suddenly at 88 years of age here in Mount Gambier almost a fortnight ago.
RALLIED LATE IN THE SEASON
UNTIL last weekend, Adelaide based jockey Anna Jordsjo had not ridden a winner this season here in the Limestone Coast, having ridden five seconds and four thirds.
That all changed at the final meeting of the season at Bordertown last Sunday when Jordsjo rode the last two winners.
One of them was Scottish Soldier ($26) which gave Bordertown trainer Scott Irlam his first winner of the local season.
Earlier, the good run for Bordertown trainer Jeff Searle continued when Tini Motu ($4 fav.) led all the way in the 1550-metre maiden to narrowly beat fellow local Sandhill Knight.
Some good bets came off in the opening event when Bear Arms found winning form for the first time this campaign.
Better known as a superior heavy track performer, Bear Arms found the Soft 6 going to her fancy and came from last mid-race to win with ease for jockey Caitlin Jones.
Trained at Millicent by Jeremy Kenny, Bear Arms ($5-$3 fav.)appreciated the big drop back in class from her unplaced effort previously in the Casterton cup and her win was the only success at Bordertown for lower South East trainers.
IMMEDIATE STAKE MONEY RISE
WITH more money in the coffers for Racing SA, stake money at all levels has taken an immediate effect.
That was evident at Bordertown last Sunday with $19,500 on offer for each race, a rise of $2000.
The same increase will also apply to races at Naracoorte and Penola, while provincial stake money (Mount Gambier) has risen by $2,500 a race to $25,000.
LOOKS THE GOODS
SHORT odds can be expected for the Greg Schofleild trained pacer Dino Mo in the $9,999 final for NR 51-59 pacers this Sunday at Globe Derby Park.
Dina Mo was the $1.12 favourite when an easy winner of his heat last Saturday night when he led all the way for driver Gaita Pulliciano.
Even more significant was the time for his heat was five and a half seconds quicker than that of the other heat winner, Brookyinthepaddock.
