Publicans meet

From nowhere: Iloveannie for Sale’s Damien Walkley wins Race 6 at Stony Creek

HORSE RACING

STONY CREEK

BY TOM HAYES

ALOCALtrainer experienced twice the excitement at Stony CreekRacing Club, when he had two winners on Monday, February 13.

An eight-race cardwas run for the Publicans Day meet, the track was graded aGood 4throughout the afternoon.

Race 1’s The Invy Espy Hotel Maiden Plate over 1000 metres was adashtothe finish line, won by Sports Choice for Andrew Homann.

Abalanced start allowed the eventual winner to run against the rail behind the pace maker, Kulina. Still behind at the 200m mark, Sports Choice darted three-wide for some clean air, storming home to win by just under alength.

Centrefoldstar for Sale’s Troy Kilgower ran throughout the midfield,but wasn’t able to get near the front, finishing eighth.

The Race 2Bairs Hotel Leongatha 3YO Maiden Plate (1000m) was expertly won by Greyt Mumma for Anthony Freedman.

In just her second race, Greyt Mumma continued to show formfollowing five successful jump out victories.

She swifty took the lead from the start, leading for the whole race to claim her debut win by nearly four lengths.

Race3’s Wonthaggi Hotel Maiden Plate (1600m) was cleaned up by Niki Frisk for Christopher Diplock, winning by nearly three lengths.

Followingsomegood form as of late (two top-four finishes), Niki Frisk stepped up to the plate with aconvincing win.

Holdinga one-length lead at the 1000m mark, he didn’t look like slowing down, giving akick at the turn winning by nearly three lengths.

The Race 4Adam &Ben 15 Years Of Awesome

Maiden Plate (2100m) saw amammoth effort from Mana Combat for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

Mana Combat held firm, racing throughout the midfieldpack, while MaidenPlate regulars -Rayza Warrior and Kilgower’s Redskin Jimmy -set the tone.

Rayza Warrior and Redskin Jimmy have gone 60 races between them without acareer win.

The final push saw the favourite, Mana Combat, shift wide in an attempt to take the lead, which turned successfularound the 200m mark and was thefirst to the line by four lengths.

Redskin Jimmy crossed the lineinsixth, just over 10 lengths from the lead.

Race 5’s tightly contested San Remo Hotel BM58 Hanicap (2100m) was pipped by Art Major for David Feek.

Overthe 2100m,horses shuffledupand down the order, making it hard to choose awinner after the jump.

With 400m to go, it looked unlikely that Art Major would findaway through, held up badly, but at the turn he went four wide to challenge the leaders.

Now five wide as they closed in on the line, Art Major found some extra pace to take the lead and win by half alength.

Nine horses finished inside three lengths behind, proving how many different ways this race could have gone.

The Race 6Mirboo North Hotel F&M BM58 Hanidcap (1000m) was the first of Sale local Damien Walkley’striumphs, when Iloveannie won.

Iloveannie took comfort at the rear of the pack, staying eighth out of eight racers for majority of therace-even falling up to four lengths behind at one point. She used her momentum to slingshot from the back, past the pack and into the lead at the final moments of the race,winningbyover two lengths.

Stunning the crowd, she was paying $51 prior to the jump, taking out the third win of her career.

Race7’s Middle Korumburra Hotel BM58 Handicap (1100m) was comfortably won by Midnight Charm for Clayton Douglas.

The favourite claimed his second career win by leadingfrom the jump before stretching out to a twolength lead at the line.

I’m Cheeky for Sale’s Bill Wood was the best of the local runners,finishing fourth, around two and ahalf lengths from the lead.

SmokinSalmon for Kilgower dropped off towards the end, failing to make an impact on the front, finishing eighth.

The Race 8Meeniyan HotelBM58 Hanidcap (1600m) was another masterclass from Walkley as he claimed his second winner of the day, via Peppino.