Veteran hoop “Razor” Ray Douglas turned back the clock at Woolamai last Saturday with a running treble from his first three rides.
All three wins came by margins of less than a length, and all three were at the principal expense of reigning champion and runaway premiership leader Courtney Pace, who rode the runner-up each time.
Pace bounced back with a win in the following race to maintain her 13-win break on second-placed Reece Goodwin, a winner earlier in the afternoon.
Douglas kicked off his treble with the Allan Douch-trained Murphy’s Corner in the Robert Mullaly Memorial Trophy Race (1) (1708m).
The mare went winless through her first 26 starts at the professionals but is three from four since crossing to the picnic circuit and was sent out a $1.55 favourite at Woolamai.
Douglas’s followers had more to celebrate after the middle pin in his treble, provided by the Gary Mallinson-trained My Dancing Duel ($7.50) in the Niftys 50’s Celebration Cup Open Trophy Race (1708m).
The seven-year-old was making his picnics debut and it was his first win in Australia. In hindsight, the $7.50 at Woolamai looks generous about a horse who won three races and more than $100,000 in Singapore, albeit a while ago (2013 and ’14).
Douglas completed his treble on Mirabilly ($4.40) in the Dirty Cheating Bedwell’s Cup Maiden Plate (1008m).
Mirabilly, trained by Bill Baynes at Seymour, placed at five of six picnic starts this season in the lead-up to his breakthrough.
Pace’s winner came on Anyways Rosie ($2.40 favourite) in the WT Partnership Cup Open Trophy Race (1008m).
The six-year-old Statue of Liberty mare, who was resuming, was the first runner of the picnic season for Flemington trainer Saab Hasan.
Earlier, Reece Goodwin and his trainer father Barry got punters off to a good start with Exbourne Avenue ($1.80 favourite) in the Killy Catering Trophy Race (2) (1008m).
The Exceed And Excel gelding was a 12-start maiden at the professionals but is now two from two at the picnics, both wins coming at Woolamai.
In the last, apprentice Sophie Logan notched her seventh win of the season, guiding Heebites ($4) to the narrowest of victories in the San Remo IGA Open Trophy Race (2408m) from the Michelle Murray-trained, Courtney Pace-ridden Kilmany.