TOM HAYES
HORSERACING
By TOM HAYES TRARALGON was host to Saturday Racing, which consisted of seven races. After months of lobbying, the Latrobe Valley Racing Club finally brought another meeting to town, following a transfer from Balnarring. Usually holding two meets annually, Latrobe Valley Racing Club was able to provide more racing, with its third meeting for the year. The track was graded a Good 3 for the entire picnic meet, with perfect weather provided for everyone attending. It didn’t take long for a local to come up trumps, when Rules Alot pipped Cerveau by a nose. In Race 1’s WIN Television Gippsland Maiden Plate over 1900 metres, Rules Alot did enough to hold off Cerveau. The five-year-old gelding for Moe’s Catherine Martindale ended an 11-race drought of finishing outside the top three, winning his maiden race. Sale’s Smokin’ Salmon for Troy and John Kilgower won the Race 2 Latrobe City Council Trophy Race (2) Handicap (1100m). The six-year-old mare won by three-quarters of a length to Rue Lepic. The victory was Smokin’ Salmon’s third of her career, and her first since June 2020, ending an 18-race win drought consisting of just two placings. Race 3’s RACV Solar Open Trophy Race Handicap (1100m) was won by Bedivere. The seven-year-old gelding held off a charging pack to win by just over a length to second, third and fourth place. For Bedivere, it was the fourth win of his career and his first since March 2020. Another maiden winner crossed the line in the Race 4 Morwell Bowling Club Maiden Plate (1100m). Six-year-old mare Hayrick Lane won by one-and-a-half lengths to the closing pack of Strikeout, Needa Bigger Boat and Saturn Isle, who finished second, third and fourth respectively. It took 21 races for Hayrick Lane to put her first win on the board, finally doing so in Traralgon. Troy and John Kilgower had their second winner of the day, when Calypso Rich took out the Race 5 TRFM Trophy Race (3) Handicap (1100m). The six-year-old gelding stretched away by over a length to collect the fourth win of his career. It was his first race after a 31-week spell. The gelding found form straight away, after a successful start to the year. Little Richie Turf won his first race in over a year, in the Race 6 Latrobe Valley Express Open Trophy Race Handicap (1430m). A tight contest saw the top three runners separated by no more than half of a length. For Little Richie Turf, it’s his fifth career win, following an inconsistent 2022, filled with six places. The final race of the day – the Race 7 bet365 Trophy Race (1) Handicap was taken out by Who Are Those Guys over 1430m. Just like the previous race, Who Are Those Guys held off the fast-finishing Femme Americain and Secret Surprise, who finished around half-a-length behind. It was the four-year-old gelding’s second consecutive win, after taking his first win just last week in Ballarat.
