Mornington trainer Rebecca Waymouth continued her super start to 2019, sending three runners to Woolamai last Saturday for two winners and a placing.
Combining with her mother Debbie, their first winner came in the Stezza Bezza Cup, a Trophy race over 1008m, with their recent acquisition Sally Sells Shells.
A four-year-old by Per Incanto, Sally Sells Shells showed great speed from the outside gate. Waymouth was content to allow the mare to settle well away from the inside rail and the pair travelled comfortably in the run, taking over well before the turn and racing away to record a dominant four-length win.
The victory was the mare’s second from 11 runs and her second this season, having won at Healesville for her former trainers (Carlo Vidotto and Clay Beasy) on November 3.
Team Waymouth’s second winner on the card came in Paint Place Maiden Plate over 1508m, with well-related Sebring gelding The Charmer scoring. This victory came at his ninth run and it was only the gelding’s second start for the Waymouth camp.
Whilst he may not possess the ability of his younger half-sibling, the Blue Diamond placegetter Enbihaar, The Charmer looks to have room for improvement and if he can put it all together he should be winning again over the summer.
Easy for Stanborough
Eleven-year-old gelding Stanborough gave his rivals a galloping lesson in the Ryan Tronson Memorial Open Trophy Handicap over 1008m, winning by eight lengths.
Well-handled by claiming apprentice Timothy Grace, Stanborough travelled easily in the run, took over well before the turn and never looked like getting beaten. Now trained by Damien Walkley at Sale, Stanborough has had six individual trainers across his 89 starts. Saturday’s win was his 12th, with only two of those coming at the same track (Kyneton twice). His other victories have come at Moruya (NSW), Sapphire Coast (NSW), Balaklava (SA), Warracknabeal, Geelong, Moe, Cranbourne, Traralgon, Sale and, of course, Woolamai. The way Stanborough is racing into his 12th year, he could very well be adding to that tally in the coming weeks.
Johnny too good
A strong ride from Grant Seccombe lifted the Troy Kilgower-trained Johnny Romance ($6.50) to his first win in 22 starts in what was at times a rough-house affair in the fourth race at  Woolamai.
The five-year-old Danesis gelding certainly had plenty of miles in his legs, having had at least one run every month since July of last year and the effort on Saturday was particularly good considering he was taking on rivals that had already won multiple races.
Seccombe would have had his heart in his mouth 200 metres out when there were a host of challengers, but under hard riding Johnny Romance had three-quarters-of-a-length to spare over Coureuse Controls on the line.
Pace-setter
Courtney Pace’s win in the opening race on the Mick Bell-trained Celestial Sky put her two wins clear (12 wins) of early leader Shaun Cooper (10 wins) at the top of the riding premiership. Dani Walker’s win in the last on the Nevin Eades-trained veteran Tupelo Boy ($4.20) kept her within striking distance of Pace. She is three behind her.