By Mary Hackshaw
AT the Alexandra Picnic Race Club last meet for 2025, under clear skies local trainers almost made a clean sweep across six races when Seymour’s Don Dwyer won the first two races with Pine Valley and Wilma Wombat.
In race one, Pine Valley dropped back from 2350 metres at his previous start to a shorter trip of 1830 metres and clocked up his impressive seventh win for Dwyer and in race two Wilma Wombat scored over 1540 metres in the Open Trophy and each was ridden by Shaun Cooper.
Kilmore trainer David Dean celebrated the race three win with Indian Hills gaining her maiden win over 1540 metres ridden by Leigh Taylor. The four year old mare sired by Dundeel was having just her fifth race day start.
Race four also went the way of Dean’s runner, this time Miss Himalaya ridden by Jasmine Trenwith and sired by Frosted scored in the Open Trophy 1300 metre event.
Mornington trainer Rebecca Waymouth won race five with Mexican Fiddler ridden by Melinda McDonald and in the final race Dean’s Frostration ridden by Rowan Cox won the maiden 1300 race by seven lengths, an exciting race to watch on just her seventh race day start in impressive style as a three year old.
The traditional New Years Day meeting at Merton saw Don Dwyer score another double, this time with two first-starters for his stable in race’s two and four.
Tomanado took out the UP Build Trophy 2 handicap, leading for the entire race and winning by four lengths. In the Peter Dolling Memorial Maiden, former Craig Weeding galloper, The Village Fox won. Each of Dwyer’s steeds were ridden by Shaun Cooper across 1600 metres under clear skies.
Seymour trainer Kevin Evans travelled to Western Victoria on New Years Day to compete in the Burrumbeet races and in race eight he was rewarded when Bronco Revolution crossed the finish line first in the Benchmark 52 1000 metre ridden by Caitlin Hollowood under clear skies.
Bushfires in the region forced the abandonment of the meeting at Mansfield on Saturday.
Seymour trainer Dr John Heath has been hit with multiple misfortunes over recent weeks, firstly with his vehicle being T-boned by a truck while on his way to the Woolamai meeting on December 20. While still in hospital, Heath’s property at Longwood was destroyed by bushfires.