Western Victoria: Hot time in hamlet after cup coup
By Tim Auld, May 23, 2017 - 10:58 AM

Woolsthorpe Store, named after a business in the small town to the north of Warrnambool, was well backed by locals to win Sunday’s $30,000 Casterton Cup and the six-year-old didn’t let his supporters down.
Part-owner Denis Findlay, who runs the store with partner Terri Barnes, said the trophy would take pride of place.
“It was a great thrill,” Findlay said. “Woolsthorpe Store has a bit of a cult following among the locals. 
“(Fellow part-owner) Shane Quinlan also wants to show the cup off in his butcher shop in Koroit. 
“The cup and Woolsthorpe Store are a great talking point among the locals in our tight-knit community.”
The six-year-old, who started a $4.80 second favourite, took his stake earnings to $99,225 with Sunday’s narrow win over Gold Medals.
Mo better
Warrnambool trainer Simon Ryan was delighted with the near-faultless exhibition of his imported jumper Dormello Mo at the Casterton meeting.
Dormello Mo ($2.05 favourite) beat Twin Tea Bags by 60 lengths in the Phil Pullen & Co Steeplechase (3800m). The only other runner, Universal Sound, fell. 
But Ryan said he was reluctant to take on the “A-grade” jumpers with Dormello Mo this season.
“It’s taken a while to get him used to Australian conditions,” he said. “He won well at Mount Gambier last time but I reckon he jumped better here. 
“There’s another steeplechase around Casterton on July 1 and it’s a $50,000 race. 
“I reckon the small fish are sweet. It’s just so hard to win the big steeplechases against the top horses.”
Ryan, a former jumps jockey, was quick to acknowledge the ride of Braidon Small at Casterton.
“Braidon’s doing a great job,” he said. “He’s really improved as a jockey. 
“He’s put in a lot of hard work so he deserves the rewards. 
“He’s done a lot of schooling on Dormello Mo and really understands the horse. Dormello Mo can be quite a quirky horse but Braidon understands him.”
Cup crowds up
Local support is vital to keep events alive in rural communities, and it’s pleasing to report that Casterton Cup day is going strong.
Casterton Racing Club president Bruce Miller said patronage had increased due to locals getting on board.
“Our crowd numbers for cup day have increased by 30 per cent over the last three years,” Miller said. 
“It’s a great result not only for the club but for Casterton and the surrounding district. 
“We had 34 marquees last year and that jumped to 45 this year. 
“The town of Casterton and district is really getting behind the event and making it a real social celebration for everyone. 
“We’ve got to give a special mention to our manager, John Donnelly — he’s doing a great job.”
Casterton, which hosts three meetings a year, races again on July 1.
Pool ready to make splash
Works on the equine swimming pool at the Warrnambool racecourse should be completed by next Wednesday, according to acting Warrnambool Racing Club chairman Nick Rule.
The club hopes to have the pool operational in the first week of June after months of delays.
The Victorian government invested $70,000 into the pool project last May but due to a number of safety-related design changes the club has applied for more funding for the project. The club has yet to produce final costings.
“We’ve been waiting for an earthmoving contractor to come back and finish off his work,” Rule said. 
“We’re confident barring any major issues with the weather the pool will be right in the first week of June.”
The new pool is 70 metres long and three metres deep.
‘Ginge’ will be missed
Popular Penola trainer Dean “Ginge” Pollard lost his battle with illness last week. 
Pollard, a leading trainer in the south east of South Australia for many years, trained numerous top gallopers including Kings Helmet and Magnesia Bay. 
Both horses won numerous races in Adelaide as well as country Victoria and South Australia. 
Pollard had been a committee member of the Penola Racing Club and was a life member.

 

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