After a couple of false starts, the Victorian picnic racing season finally got underway last week and did so in fine style.
The Mansfield District Racing Club hosted a big crowd to open the picnic season on Melbourne Cup day.
Mansfield trainer Gerald Egan said it was one of the club’s better race days in recent memory.
“I would say it was a huge success,” he said. “I think they had 33 marquees, they were all sold out well in advance. We had to get some extra ones in from Benalla to accommodate all the people. 
“The weather held off, it didn’t rain, so the general public filled up and it was very com-fortable.
“We were lucky enough to get a couple of extra runners from Alexandra and Healesville’s misfortune (abandoned meetings). Cup day it’s always hard to get horses because of the number of meetings on that day.”
Egan made it a winning start to the picnic season, too, preparing Magic Monarch for a win in the third race of the day, while Jay Al Cracker missed out by a length to Brian Cox’s Bringenbrong in the day’s feature, the Catanach Plate.
Egan doubles as the track manager at Mansfield, but said he didn’t have too much work to do to prepare for the race day.
“The long, wet winter managed the track. I can’t take credit for that,” he said.
“That was the weather gods. The track stayed a good 4 all day and the crowd had a great time.
“We’ve got a new date for our cup day this year – April 8 – so hopefully the track and conditions are just as good.”
Last year’s champion picnic rider Reece Goodwin also made a fast start to his 2016-17 campaign, riding a double at Mansfield 
Goodwin was on Magic Monarch for Egan before doubling up in the next on La Rita, trained by his father, Barry.
Waymouths lead the way
Hot on the heels of ladies’ day at Flemington last Thursday, it was most definitely ladies’ day at Balnarring last Saturday.
Five of the six races on the card were won by a female trainer and/or jockey.
Anne Maree Curran set the tone early as Royal Lady claimed the first race on the card, the five-year-old mare having her third start under Curran’s care.
The Waymouth Racing daughter-mother duo — trainer Rebecca and jockey Debbie — had a productive day as well, claiming a running double in races four and five thanks to Sir Wolf and Keep Happy.
Top hoop Courtney Pace also rode a double to take an early lead in the picnic jockeys’ premiership with three wins, one clear of Goodwin and Waymouth.
Yea beauty
This weekend the action moves to Yea for its Spring Celebration meeting, the first of four meetings at the track for the season.
Some umbrella and shaded site packages are still available.