Kyneton trainer and district clerk of course Bob Challis had three runners at Murtoa on Monday and the stable came home with two winners.
The trainer’s partner, Liz Irwin, saddled up What’s Up ($7) and Great Alpine Road ($12) for encouraging wins.
What’s Up, a six-year-old Written Tycoon gelding coming off a frustrating run of five third placings, took the $22,000 Horsham Doors & Glass Maiden Plate (1100m) under Dean Holland.
The gelding defeated $2.60 favourite Conga D’Oro by a head.
Bred by and raced by Ralph Portaro in partnership with Gary Stead and Irwin, What’s Up was having his 11th start.
Great Alpine Road, a five-year-old daughter of Road To Rock and Boynton, was most impressive in taking out the Ladbrokes BM58 Handicap (2050m) by 3½ lengths from Test a Day ($5.50) with $4.60 favourite Prince of Arran a head astern third.
The mare was ridden by Jarrod Fry.  
Also raced in partnership by Portaro, Great Alpine Road has now won two races with four minors from her 15 starts.
Joy for injured Jody
Kilmore trainer Jody Thompson has had a change of luck this week with winners at Murtoa (Monday) and Albury (Tuesday).
All Day Every Day ($5.50) got the ball rolling at Murtoa for Thompson, who is recovering from a fall at trackwork last week.
Bred and raced by the trainer’s parents, Norm and Faye, the five-year-old son of Captain Gerrard and Satdies ’n Sundies took out the Shannon Bros Cartage BM58 Handicap (1600m). 
The gelding defeated Cash For Diamonds ($4.80) by 1¼ lengths.
All Day Every Day has now won five races with 12 minor placings from his 34 starts.
At Albury, Thompson’s son and stable foreman Ash saddled up Saracentinal for a surprise win at $51.
The Dangerous seven-year-old gelding blitzed the field to take out the $20,000 Albury Demolitions BM55 Handicap (1600m).
Ridden by Richard Bensley, the gelding won like an odds-on pop by 3¼ lengths.
Previously trained by Patrick Payne, Saracentinal is now raced by long-time stable client Ian Forsyth and recently appointed Berrigan Racing Club committeeman Denis Ryan.
The gelding has won six races with 12 minor placings from 46 starts. 
King of the road
Kyneton trainer George Osborne has covered plenty of miles in recent weeks, with some success.
Most recently Osborne drove the 292km to Wodonga last Saturday and came home with a winner — Ellehcim ($13) in the $22,000 RMR Engineering 3YO Fillies Maiden Plate (1200m).
The three-year-old daughter of Glass Harmonium and Aurism, ridden by Riverina hoop Nick Souquet, defeated the Darren Weir-trained Astrological ($4.40) by a long neck.
“She no world beater but she’s a little trier,” Osborne said.
“She’ll go to the paddock now after doing a good job for her first prep.”
Ellehcim was bred by the Phipps family, who race him in partnership with Osborne and stable clients.
The filly, a half-sister to the recently retired Alvilda, was having her fourth start. She is named after Michelle Phipps.
Over the past month Osborne has also had winners at Albury, Geelong and Naracoorte.
Bentley revs up
Another Kyneton trainer, Neil Dyer, took off last month with a large team on his annual trip to the Top End for the Darwin carnival.
Having taken a while to hit his straps this trip, Dyer chalked up his first winner at Darwin’s Fannie Bay last Saturday — Latest Bentley ($2.40 favourite) in the $20,000 CJD Equipment Darwin ISUZU Maiden Plate (1200m).
Ridden by Jarrod Todd, the four-year-old son of Host and Mrs Bently defeated Trystoff by two lengths.
Owned by the trainer in partnership with former Aussie rules star Vin Catoggio and his brother Laurie along with a number of stable clients, Latest Bentley was having his 14th start.