By ‘Pegs’
After having his past six starts in the city in his previous preparation, Kyneton trainer Mick Sell’s Lovin’ Laughs found the familiar Bendigo track to his liking on Thursday.
Sell, who previously trained at Bendigo prior to relocating back to Kyneton, had the well-named six-year-old gelded son of Foreplay out of the Happy Giggle mare, Caribbea, cherry ripe for a first-up win in the Catanaach’s Jewellers 0-64 Handicap over 1100 metres.
Ridden by the in-form Neil Farley, the gelding, at odds of $18, defeated Upper East Side, $14, by a neck with the $3.40 favourite, Thalursian, a short-half-head away third.
“It was a good ride by Neil which was his first winner for us,” Sell said.
“We haven’t picked out a race for him yet as we are waiting to see what his rating is.”
Bred and raced by the Monegeeta-based Miles family, better known with pacers , Lovin’ Laughs has now won five races with three minor placings from his 22 starts, earning $131,025 in prizemoney.
All-the-way win for General
Avid General, paying $6.50, made it three wins from seven starts for Kilmore trainer Jody Thompson in an all-the-way win at Warracknabeal on Saturday.
Formerly trained in South Australia, the seven-year-old Casino Prince gelding, pinged the gates and was never headed in taking out the Ron and Milly Isbel Memorial 0-58 Handicap over 1000 metres.
Rated beautifully by Neil Farley, the gelding defeated the $3.40 favourite Comrade Bill by two and a quarter lengths with the Charles Cassar-trained Redline, $6.50, a similar margin away third.
“He’s just our little pocket rocket,” stable foreman Ash Thompson, who saddled up the gelding, said.
“We purchased him online and he’s brought up win number three for us.”
Raced by the trainer in partnership with her family and former Kilmore trainer Angie Barton, Avid General has now won seven races with five minor placings from his 31 starts.
