The battle between Bendigo amateur riders Courtney Pace and Toby Lake continued into the Heath Agistment Picnic Racing Grand Final on Friday night, with Pace getting the upper hand aboard Victorian Crown ($5).
Pace and Lake finished first and second in the Victorian picnic jockeys premiership with 27 and 23 wins respectively. 
Last Friday Lake claimed the lead on $4.80 chance The Sands into the straight, but Pace was able to rein in her rival to complete a hat-trick on the Russell Green-trained eight-year-old.
On returning to scale Pace paid tribute to highly regarded clerk of scales Sue Luck, who died the week before.
It was this columnist’s pleasure to broadcast last Friday’s race and I look forward to the picnic awards night on May 12, when Pace will be crowned champion for a third time.
Lies all the way
Jockey Noel Callow ensured Brent Stanley’s Foxwedge filly As It Lies wouldn’t be getting beaten in a third consecutive photo finish at Cranbourne last Friday night, leading from start to finish.
Those narrow defeats at Yarra Valley and Kyneton saw the $100,000 yearling purchase sent out a $3 chance and scored in dominant fashion by 3¾ lengths. 
Cash splash
Goldfields trainers were to the fore at the recent Inglis VOBIS Gold Sales, with five trainers adding recruits to their stables.
Kym Hann has enjoyed recent success in the Vobis scheme with Glenrowan Prince and will be hoping his $12,000 Puissance de Lune filly can deliver the same results. The stable struck again later paying $65,000 for a colt by the hot stallion Written Tycoon.
Danny Curran famously brought The Big Dance for $750 at this sale. This time he went to $15,000 for a Canford Cliffs colt. 
Shaun Dwyer paid $12,000 for a Bel Esprit filly while Shane Fliedner added a Reward For Effort colt for $16,000. 
Finally, Anne Yates paid $55,000 for a Fiorente half-brother to stakes winner Baby Guinness.
Get well, Graham
Our thoughts are with Graham Salisbury, Bendigo horse trainer, former clerk of course and renowned as the handler of the ever-popular Subzero.
Salisbury, who is fighting cancer, is sure to have the entire Victorian racing industry on his side in the battle.
Dwyer to fire
Shaun Dwyer has had some encouraging trial results recently and looks set for a solid few weeks on the racetrack. 
At Tatura on April 17, the talented Kharnmosh sustained a wide run to win his trial under John Keating.
Kharnmosh, who hasn’t raced since last August, was a winner on debut and could return in similar style.
Keating also partnered Dwyer’s unraced Globetrotter gelding Brother Paul to an all-the-way heat win at Tatura.
At Cranbourne on Monday the stable’s highly talented Miss Leonidas came from last and circled her rivals to score convincingly. She too looks ready to win first up.

Dwyer’s fellow Bendigo trainer Adam O’Neill will have trial watchers looking out for his speedy grey Bold Approach to return to the races. 
A recent trial saw O’Neill’s two-time winner match motors with gun sprinter Spieth at Tatura. Just two lengths separated the pair at the end of 850 metres.
Bonnie honoured
The Bendigo Jockey Club paid tribute to the late Bendigo trainer Bonnie Bland with the Bonnie Bland Man-A-Million BM64 Handicap (1600m) on Tuesday. 
Bland died this month agd 87. She was best known for preparing Man-A-Million to win the 1976 Victoria Handicap at Caulfield and the Healy Stakes of that year in Brisbane. 
Tuesday’s race was taken out by the Darren Weir-trained Miss Belisa.
Likely Lad
The Kym Hann-trained Elmore Lad was one of the more popular winners at Tueday’s meeting, leading all the way as a well backed $2.80 favourite in the 1300-metre maiden.
The son of Dr Doute’s was coming off a close second to the smart Tony McEvoy-trained galloper Friedensberg a fortnight earlier.
He was ridden by Harry Coffey, who was aboard stablemate Glenrowan Prince in his two March wins. 
“Harry has done a lot of work with this horse and knows him well,” Hann said.
“I’d like to get the horse up to a mile or even further.
“He’s only a small-framed horse who doesn’t carry much condition and can be a bit highly strung but we might target some three-year-old races with him.”
The victory was the stable’s ninth of the season, placing Hann at the top of the Bendigo trainers table. 
Elmore Lad, raced by Mary and John Knight, has earned $20,240 from four starts.