By ‘Pegs’
KILMORE Racing Club hosted its first meeting for season 2022-23 on Saturday with a successful event in the form of a community and charity race day, including an annual Northern Health Foundation fundraiser.
The first of a seven-race card was brought forward to 11.41am due to the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting the mercury to hit 36 degrees in the region.
Only one favourite was successful at the bet365 Park Kilmore program, with Kilmore trainer Jody Thompson saddling up the $3 favourite Irving Again to impressively take out the 2000-metre Epping Plaza Hotel Maiden Plate.
The consistent New Zealand-bred Rip Van Winkle, a four-year-old gelding ridden by Jack Hill, defeated Six Feet, $3.10, by four-and-a-half lengths, with Starvaceous, $15, a further two-and-a-quarter lengths away third.
A $25,000 purchase at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, the gelding is raced by the trainer along with stable clients.
Irving Again had three minor placings prior to his win.
New acquisition successful
Race four, the Verandah Solutions Maiden Plate over 1200 metres, saw the Danny Laws-trained Prudden, at $20 odds, having his first start for the new stable.
He motored home to defeat Manuka Bay, $26, by three quarters of a length with Prancing Queen, $4.60, a short half-head away third.
Ridden by Lachlan King, the Per Incanto four-year-old gelding had his unplaced debut run with Ben and JD Hayes.
Thompson’s big weekend
Jody Thompson made it a winning double for the day when Kermalaw, $11, took out the last race, the Boost Financial Services and BMTG IT 0-58 Handicap, over 1450 metres.
The Kermadec five-year-old gelding, raced by the trainer, her parents, son and stable clients, made it three wins for the day for in-form hoop Jack Hill.
Kermalaw, previously trained by Steve Richards, has now won three races with three minor placings from 21 starts.
Thompson was back in the winners stall at Moe the following day.
She saddled up Avid General, $13, for back-to-back wins, taking out the 1000-metre $37,500 Club Eastwood Launch Fri 27th Jan BM64 Handicap.
The Casino Prince seven-year-old gelding, giving Teo Nugent a winning double, defeated Super Thief, $4.40, by one-and-a-quarter lengths, with High Risk, $13, a length away third.
“It was an 11 out of 10 ride from Teo,” Thompson said.
“I was rapt in the run when he grabbed hold of him instead of being three deep. He just tries his little heart out, this horse.”
Avid General, raced by the Thompson family and former Kilmore trainer Angie Barton, has now won nine races with eight minor placings from 40 starts.
Lone winner
Seymour co-trainers Lee and Shannon Hope took out the only race run at Benalla on Sunday when the consistent Good Morgen, a $1.65 favourite, took out the bet365 Maiden Plate over 1206 metres.
The race was marred by a bad fall on the home turn, with Lachie King and John Keating having to be conveyed to hospital.
Good Morgen, a Kuroshio five-year-old mare, was bred and is raced by long-time stable client John Brown.
The mare had four minor placings prior to her win from eight starts.
