THE 2010 Athol Platt Memorial turned out to be a great race for the locals at Port Macquarie on Saturday.
The 2018m feature event was taken out by the Alan Hayden-trained Team Thunderstone.
The horse, which had put in some terrific runs in recent times, was backed from $2.60 into $2 favourite and never gave those who supported him a moment’s worry.
Not only was the five-year-old trained by a Port Macquarie trainer, he was ridden by the punters’ pin up of Port Macquarie jockeys Peter Graham.
“We thought that this looked his race today,” part-owner Michelle Lamb said post race.
“He had been mixing it with King Shane at his past two runs and he just won at Newcastle - so his form lines looked good.”
The owners were a little worried about the 58kg the horse had to carry as he is not overly big, but the improving gelding did it with ease after having a perfect run in transit.
“I had a very good position in the race,” Graham admitted.
“They went hard early in the lead which suited, and then they backed off through the middle stages which gave me a good breather.”
Graham was able to extricate Team Thunderstone out into the open at the 600m mark from mid-field – and the honest stayer rounded them up very quickly.
“Pretty easy, no worries,” said Graham of the 2.5-length victory.
Merrywina ($4.50) ground home late along the inside to get second just ahead of Roslyn Chapel who was right out in the middle of the track.
A great day was had by all who attended the meeting with the Charity Lawnmower race proving to be a big hit with spectators.
The odds-on favourite “June The Tea Lady” did not let her supporters down when she came home with a withering late burst to claim the honours.
More on that in my column later in the week.
The other highlight, off the track, was the awarding of life membership of the Port Macquarie Race Club to long-serving committeeman Alex Hull.
Race 1 Charlie Brown Maiden 1018m
SHE appeared big and gross before the race but she looked big and fast during the race – and that was all that mattered for those who were on the sensationally-backed Livin Doll ($2.30) in the first of the day.
The Marc Quinn-trained filly has been somewhat of a nightmare in her career and was only stepping out for start number two on Saturday.
“She has proved a real handful,” stable foreperson Lisa Wincote admitted.
“She’s had a lot of trouble going into the barriers and injured herself just before Marc had her ready to race last time – so yes she has been a work in progress.”
Jockey Marlon Dolendo had her travelling sweetly in the run but punters did not know of the difficulty Dolendo himself was having just getting the mare around the track.
“I lost one of my stirrup irons right after the start,” he said.
“I am just glad she raced pretty truly – I was having some trouble that’s for sure.”
Dolendo gave the four-year-old more rein on straightening and she exploded away from her rivals to win by 4.5 lengths.
Second to the judge was Pimpla Karma ($6) and Freres ($3.30) was third after having every chance.
Race 2 Ivan Livermore Maiden Handicap 1018m
JOCKEY Robert Agnew outsmarted his compatriots when he rated the Walcha-trained King Of Flirt ($4.20) to an-all-the way victory.
“He jumped in front and nothing really wanted to take me on and I got away with a very easy first section of the race,” he admitted.
“He travelled really well and fought on great when the other horse came at me at the 200m mark.”
The other horse was the heavily-backed Home On the Wife ($2.30), which got up on the inside of King Of Flirt but could not get past no matter how hard he tried.
“Needs blinkers,” his rueful rider Dolendo said.
The win was a great result for trainer Mark Taylor who was attending horse sales elsewhere.
They skipped home in 34.59 seconds for the last 600m of this race, making it very hard for the leader and eventual winner to be run down.
Third place went to Puzzlemaster ($3.50), which had its chance but was no match for the first pair.
Race 3 Eric Bedford Benchmark 45 1218m
WAUCHOPE-trained Franc ($5) returned to something like his best form when he won with authority in race three.
On face value, most punters had shied away from Franc as he had been beaten over 10 lengths at his previous two starts.
“He has been completely luckless,” trainer Graham Hoy pointed out.
“You can draw a line though those runs and forget he went around.
“He had worked well in the lead-up to this race and I was very confident he could win today – Dolendo did a very good job.”
Dolendo had Franc travelling sweetly right behind the leader Dare To Challenge and he was the only horse, apart from Makiling ($3.50), that you wanted to be on in the run.
“I went to go around the leader on the turn but he ran off a little bit and forced me wide, so I checked and went back to the cutaway on the inside,” he added.
“He was way too strong for them.”
The others were well beaten, with Dare To Challenge hanging on for third after showing his usual dash.
Race 5 Col Foster Memorial 1018m
THE Col Foster Memorial turned out to be a thriller and an emotional thriller at that.
A comeback horse and a retiring jockey combined to take out the race.
While the rider is headed to Sydney for the Darley-Peter Snowden camp, we should see more of the horse – he looks very good.
Peintred ($9) returned to the track two years after bowing a tendon and blew them away with a withering burst to get up and win in the last few strides.
“It happens to lots of horses, they get injured,” philosophical trainer Glen Hodge said.
“With good ones like this fellow you really hope they can get another crack at racing – he has so much ability.”
“Peintred was going to bolt in 300 out, but those two years off started to take their toll over the last 50m of the race,” winning rider Mark Hanneybel admitted.
“It was simply his heart that got him there – he did not want to get beaten.”
In a three-way thriller, Peintred overhauled the gallant little Port Commands ($3.20) and then staved off the challenge of Awe Inspired ($8.00) to win by a nose – it was a great finish.
An emotional Hanneybel announced his retirement from race riding at the trophy presentation and remembered the times he rode with the late Col Foster.
He said he was “truly honoured to win the race”.
Run of the day: Livin Doll
Ride of the day: Peter Graham (Team Thunderstone)
Day’s disappointment: Home On The Wife, blinkers may help next time. I still can’t believe it didn’t win on looks alone!
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