Whittlesea trainer Peter Morgan and rider Linda Meech bookended the eight-race card at Echuca last Saturday.
The in-form Talwood Park trainer was successful with the debutant All a Spritz ($6) and My Mother Says ($2.20 favourite) respectively.
All a Spritz, a three-year-old All American gelding from Bubbly Duchess, was most impressive leading all the way in the $23,000 Echuca CIH Maiden Plate (1200m). Although a little green at the finish, the gelding defeated Bowmore Crescent ($81) by three lengths.
Morgan said he hadn’t trialled the gelding but thought he could win first up.
“I was surprised at the price. He went shinsore on me a couple of times so there’s improvement in him still,” he said.
Morgan, who wasn’t on course to witness the win, purchased the gelding for what now looks a bargain price of $50,000 at the 2017 Inglis Classic yearling sale for himself, wife Judy and long-time stable clients Bruce and Jill Mathieson and Rick Smith.
Morgan said All a Spritz had reminded him as a yearling of Zebulon, another son of All American whom Morgan trained to win the listed City of Adelaide Stakes.
Morgan says he’ll give the gelding another run in the bush to correct his waywardness.
In the last, My Mother Says made it back-to-back Echuca wins, narrowly taking out the Independent Cranes 0-58 Handicap (1400m).
The four-year-old gelding, by Smart Missile from Katiet, defeated the Kyneton-trained Tax Evader ($20) by a nose.
“Linda said he was going to win easily but wanted to pull up near the line,” Morgan said.
The gelding was bred and is raced by the Mathiesons and now has two wins and a minor placing from nine starts.
Dazzled delights
Kyneton trainer George Osborne notched his first winner of the season with Being Dazzled ($11) at Swan Hill last Friday.
The six-year-old gelding, by Kaphero and Dazzling Firebird, was ridden by the in-form Andrew Mallyon in taking out The Bottle-O Swan Hill BM58 Handicap (975m).
The gelding defeated $2.70 favourite Inaminute by a long neck with Junior Mac ($31) three-quarters of a length away third.
Raced by the Langdon Thoroughbred and Ravenswood Park racing syndicates, Being Dazzled has now won two races with six minor placings from his 26 starts.