THE weekend was lean on winners for north central trainers, but did produce place getters galore.
The Euroa Cup meeting at Benalla produced a second placing for the Jody Thompson trained Captivating Storm in the maiden 1106 metre contest, beaten by just 0.06 lengths.
Later in the day, the Lee and Shannon Hope trained Babalola scored his third second placing from his last four starts in the 0-58 1206 metre race.
The Hope stable enjoyed a further satisfying result at Moonee Valley when the previously unbeaten three-year-old American Pharoah filly Scillato ran fourth in the Group Three Don Casboult Classic over 1200 metres. A little bit slow out of the gates, jockey Cory Parish kept the filly close to the rails, making steady ground throughout the race to finish just 1.8 lengths from the winner.
At the picnics, local trainers were placed in half the races on the card at Healesville. Seymour trainer Ron Hockley snared second place in the Trophy Two 1650 metre race with Some Eclipse, beaten 0.25 lengths.
Kilmore’s Tyson Barton picked up a third placing with Kahungunu in the Trophy One 1200 metres, and then went one better in the Golden Thong over 2350 metres, where Chestnut Thunder ran second, beaten 1.05 lengths.
Don Dwyer lined up Wild Canary in the last race on the card, the Open 1200 metres, for a third placing. Dwyer also had runners across the border at Narrandera, scoring third placings with Couldbetracy in the maiden 1200 and the ever consistent Smart Ace in the Open 1600 metres.
