By David Gilbert
ALL trainers go through their highs and lows in the four-legged racing game.
On a real high after last weekend was Naracoorte trainer Sue Murphy, even though she had just the one winner from two days of action.
Her giant gelding Farooq ($14) regained winning form after a 12-month drought to give Murphy her third Naracoorte Cup success following the victories by Our Strike Breaker (2002) and Hasta La Thomas (2016).
“His last win was 12 months ago to the day in the Premiers Plate at Morphettville,” Murphy advised.
“His run at Mount Gambier (seventh in Summer Cup on January 21) was okay, but not flash and a blood test revealed he was not fit.
“Since then, his work has been strong and I told the owners to buy him at the cup calcutta last Saturday night as I believed he could win it.
“Next for Farooq will be the Edenhope Cup in early March, a race he won three years ago.”
For winning jockey Jacob Opperman, Farooq has always been one of his favourite gallopers and the gelding gave him his first ever metropolitan winner on January 16, 2021 at Murray Bridge.
Opperman has now had five wins aboard Farooq, three at city level and two country cups (Casterton 2021 and last Sunday at Naracoorte).
Murphy was also over the moon with her runner at Morphettville the previous day.
Hasta La War resumed from a three-month spell with an excellent third (at $61) in the JRA Plate and is very much on track for a crack at next month’s 3200-metre Adelaide Cup.
UPSET THE APPLECART
FORM students doing their homework on the last race at Morphettville last Saturday certainly gave Mingbool trainer Jamie Opperman a big chance of winning it and win it Opperman did, but not with the galloper most punters expected.
It was the outsider of his two runners which destroyed most quadrella, treble and doubles punters.
The 30/1 chance West Cliff gave him his first metropolitan winner since Woakwine won at Morphettville seven years ago on February 11, 2017.
The seven-year-old gelding had been running in the Limestone Coast and western Victoria with a win (at Bordertown) and a placing from his past four starts in far lesser grades.
That third was to Dale’s Rocket at his previous run here at Mount Gambier on January 31 in a BM 58 race.
Last Saturday, West Cliff defied being run down in the BM 64 1800-metre handicap after hitting the front on the home turn for apprentice Britney Wong.
It ended a good week for Opperman after Ofcourse I Will ($9.50), ridden by son Jacob, stormed home to win a 1600-metre BM 56 handicap at Murray Bridge three days earlier.
THUMBS UP
FOR the locals, Farooq winning the Naracoorte Cup was the icing on the cake for what was another successful Naracoorte cup day.
“We had a very good crowd in attendance and everything went off extremely well,” Naracoorte Racing Club president Glen Hamlyn stated.
Visiting Ballarat trainer Henry Dwyer was also very impressed, not only with the condition of the track, but how the whole day was presented.
Taking the honours on the track were Jacob Opperman and Dominic Tourneur, both with doubles, which has seen Opperman go to the top of the Limestone Coast jockey’s premiership ladder.
Mount Gambier trainer Belinda O’Loughlin had early success when Nankeen, ridden by Tourneur, won the opening event.
Captain Joolian proved his maiden win at his previous start was no fluke by winning the 1100-metre 0-58 handicap for Bordertown trainer Darryl Dodson.
POPULAR WIN FOR GRAY STABLE
AT the penultimate meeting prior to the Gold Cup, drivers David Drury and Jackie Barker had multiple success at the Greenwald Paceway last Friday night with doubles.
The Drury trained and driven Maverick Star landed some good bets ($3.80-$2.90 fav.) to win the opening event after racing wide most of the way.
Drury’s double was completed when the Greg Scholefield trained Mikicool, a last start Adelaide winner, seemed reasonable value ($1.90-$1.70 fav.) in winning the third event.
Driver Brent Howard won the race sponsored by himself and wife Anita with a popular victory for the Andy Gray trained Goodwood in the maiden pace.
Goodwood deservedly broke through to win at his fourth run this campaign to give Gray his first local winner for a couple of years.
GRASS ROOTS RACING
ANYONE who does not mind a day at the races should make an attempt to attend Buchan picnic races (in the hills of east Gippsland) at least once in their life.
It is grass roots Australian racing at its very best and is the reason around 2,000 people (of all ages) descend on the Canni Creek track for the annual meeting each February.
Last Saturday, people arrived in droves from all points of the compass to the unique racecourse “in the jungle” about 12 kilometres south west of Buchan.
Being a meeting of picnic status, you can take your own food, drink and esky into the course, which many families and social groups took advantage of.
There is no grandstand or even a viewing mound to watch the races, so there is a mad rush before each race to grab a spot along the outside running rail.
Last Saturday, the one with the best view by far was a very large goanna who scaled a tree for a piece of the action.
Because of trees in the middle of the track, the horses disappear out of view for 500 metres, so the club came up with a new innovation this year.
A camera was placed in the hidden area so that racegoers and the course commentator could watch each race on the big screen.
All buildings are made of wood, having been carved out of bush timber which is so prevalent throughout east Gippsland.
In some ways, Buchan racecourse is a reminder of some British tracks in that it is undulating with dips and rises.
At the top of the straight, the field is out of sight before appearing and reaching a hump with 150 metres to run.
It is then a downhill run to the finishing line before a sharp 120-degree turn at the bottom of the hill where the field leaves the main straight.
I was surprised to see what appeared to be another track on the inside of the course proper until it was pointed out to me it is the fifth fairway of the local golf course.
The children’s lolly drop is a big occasion where all children on-course were asked to gather on the track where a man with a big bucket of lollies threw them into the air in all directions.
There is no gate for access to the track, but that did not stop over 100 children of all ages clambering over the fence to get near the lolly man who was welcomed like Father Christmas.
Then, late in the program, there were foot races for the local footballers and netballers and to help quench their thirst, the public bar remained open until 90 minutes after the local race, unlike metropolitan racecourses.
