Picnics: Absent Ray aids chase for Pace
By Conor Ryan, March 21, 2018 - 6:55 AM

If Toby Lake claims the picnic jockey premiership, he might need to thank Ray Douglas.
“Razor” Ray was a late withdrawal from Saturday’s meeting at Woolamai, and Lake picked up his only ride, on You Wan Sum in race four.
It was a good one to pick up, as the Darryl Horner Snr-trained gelding gave Lake his only winner for the day and moved him within one win of Courtney Pace at the top of the premiership table.
With five meetings remaining for the season, the fight for the picnic riders’ crown race looks set to go down to the wire.
It was a good day too for Matt Corbisiero, who rode a double, and another good day for trainer Rachael Cunningham and her Woolamai warrior Barley Mo.
The six-year-old mare has made a habit of good days, winning on her last four trips to Woolamai, including the final race of the day last Saturday.
Cunningham has only been racing Barley Mo since December — the mare was formerly with her fellow Cranbourne trainer Greg Hayes, and John Price before him — but the pair have found a winning formula at the picnics, and Woolamai in particular.
Barley Mo will have to win a race or two elsewhere to contend for horse of the year.
Corbisiero had scored an earlier winner in race three, as he was on the slightly faster of the Bellas. John Rattle’s Show Bella won by a whisker from Henry Dwyer’s Bella Boss.
Geoff Brunsdon and his St Patrick’s Day-appropriate colours were a neck third.
Team Waymouth, trainer Rebecca and jockey Debbie, claimed win number eight for the season when Keep Happy held off Bolshoi Belle in the fifth of the day.
Leigh Taylor rode an early winner with Delightful Spirit, while Caitlin King rode Here’s to Saturday to victory for John Slater.
The picnic circuit heads back to Alexandra this Saturday for the Alexandra Cup, before a season-defining triple-header across the Easter weekend.

 

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