Central Victoria: Hopes combine in Evil triumph
By Paul Egan, December 12, 2017 - 10:27 AM

Seymour apprentice Tahlia Hope combined with her co-masters Lee and Shannon Hope in winning their first metropolitan race as a trio with Evil Lil ($31) at Racing.com Park Pakenham on Saturday.
It was at the corresponding meeting last year that the young apprentice rode her first metro winner aboard Invincible Al.
This year she got up by a nose on Evil Lil to take out the $70,000 Momentum Gaming BM70 Handicap (1400m).
“It’s becoming one of my favourite meetings of the year,” Tahlia said.
“I didn’t think I had (got there) to be honest but all credit to her because she’s a pretty tough mare and she was in for the fight.
“All the credit goes to Pa (Lee) and Dad (Shannon) to get her here, and winning on a Saturday is great.”
Bred by Tony and Sue Schneider, Evil Lil is raced by the Schneider family along with Hope Racing manager Carol Shinn and a number of stable clients.
The mare has now won four races with six minor placings, earning $105,670 in prizemoney from her 22 starts.
Impressive Act
Kilmore trainer Jody Thompson saddled up Patriot Act ($5) for a narrow but most impressive win at Tatura’s Italian Plate day last Sunday.
Coming off a Sandown Hillside fifth placing last month, the five-year-old Undoubtedly gelding got up by a nose to take out the $18,000 Admoor Plumbing BM58 Handicap (1450m).
Ridden by apprentice Lachlan King, Patriot Act wore down Vladivostok ($4.20) to get the judge’s nod.
“He’s always been pretty consistent and he might get away with a midweek (benchmark) 64 in town,” Thompson said.
“Lachy rode him a treat,” Thompson said.
Patriot Act’s time of 1:27.51 was 0.52 faster than recorded in the feature the Italian Plate.
Previously trained in Adelaide by Philip Stokes, Patriot Act is now raced by long-time Thompson stable client and Craigieburn resident Ian Forsyth, in partnership with the trainer.
The gelding has now won three races with two minor placings from 14 starts.
Aeratus again
Seymour Racing Club committeeman Frank Butler and wife Karen are having a dream run with Aeratus.
The formerly Mick Price-trained Magnus gelding, now trained at Colac by Kylie Vella, was off the scene for nearly three years due to a tendon injury and a subsequent ibuprofen-related ban prior to taking out the $77,000 China Bowl last month.
Next start, the gelding finished a close-up fourth in the Wodonga Cup, and on Sunday he was a narrow but impressive winner of the $100,000 TAB Werribee Cup (2000m).
Ridden by apprentice Ben Thompson, the gelding defeated Articus and Brigadier.
“Frank and Karen — they’re just amazing people,” Vella said post race.
“They’ve been so patient with this horse, because we couldn’t race him because of ibuprofen.
“I think people today thought we were idiots running him third up over 2000 metres after three years off, but the credit for that goes to Steve (husband/jockey).”
Aeratus has now won eight races with two minor placings from only 17 starts. He has $314,845 in prizemoney.
A couple at Kyneton
Two local trainers were successful at bet365 Kyneton Park last Thursday.
Mick Sell and Dean Krongold saddled up successive winners with Alejandra ($6.50) and Sound the Trumpet ($5.50) respectively.
Alejandra, a four-year-old Krupt mare, was a comfortable winner of the $25,000 DeBortoli Class 1 Handicap (1112m).
The mare, who was ridden by Craig Robertson, is raced by Sell and a number of stable clients.
The ultra-consistent mare has now won two races with four minor placings from her eight starts.
Sound the Trumpet was a narrow winner of the Ray White Real Estate Romsey BM58 Handicap over the same distance.
With Michael Poy claiming four kilos and first up since May, the Showcasing five-year-old defeated Miss Kashosa.
The win was Krongold’s first since his stable was quarantined last month due to strangles.
Fellow Kyneton trainer George Osborne, whose stables were also quarantined, had his first winner since at Bendigo last Wednesday with Wilt the Stilt ($13).
Kingy will be missed
Kilmore Racing Club lost another former committeeman last week in Steve King.
“Kingy” or “Roy”, as he was affectionately known, was a Kilmore Turf Club committeeman, treasurer and president in the early 2000s. He was later elected to the board of Kilmore Racing Inc.
Steve, who passed away last week after a long brave battle with cancer, was farewelled by a huge gathering at a memorial service at Kilmore Trackside last Friday.
All at Kilmore Racing pass on their deepest sympathy to Gloria, Jason and Cameron.
90 up
This writer wishes former international jockey and a darn good bloke Ron Hutchinson a happy birthday on the occasion of his 90th this Thursday.
His son Peter told me at Yea picnics on Sunday that there’s a few days of celebration ahead for his popular father.
Packed calendar
Racing in the district is full on next week, with Kilmore on Tuesday, Seymour on Thursday and Kyneton Saturday.
 

 

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