It was a year ago last week, when the Luke Oliver-trained Hunamosa had his first metro success at The Valley by a short half-head, ridden by then-apprentice Ben Allen.
At The Valley last Friday night, the Kiwi-bred six-year-old Alamosa gelding got up by the same margin in the $60,000 Dominant Laundry Systems Handicap (1600m), again with Allen aboard.
Sent out a $21 pop, the gelding defeated Plot the Course ($51) with Kaching ($7) a length away third.
“It was a brilliant ride by Ben, and once ‘George’ (as he is affectionately named) got in front there was no getting past him,” said Romsey-based Oliver. “He settled beautifully off the speed and was produced at the top of the straight. Tonight he just showed how tough he is.” 
Hunamosa’s excited breeder and managing part-owner, Marg Carter, told Racing.com’s Jason Richardson that she bred and raced the mother, Golden Honey, along with other part-owners of the gelding.
They took the mare to New Zealand when she broke down, to be mated with Alamosa.
“He’s a bloody little ripper — mad as a cut snake, but he’s a bloody little ripper,” Carter told Richardson in an entertaining post-race interview.
Hunamosa has now won nine races with three minor placings from his 35 starts, earning $211,795 in prizemoney.
Divas on song
After saddling up a winning double at his home track seven days earlier, Kyneton trainer George Osborne was back in the winner’s stall at Seymour on Tuesday.
Osborne was successful with My Divas ($6.50) in the $35,000 Bet365 Grand Handicap Sprint Series Ballot Exempt Race 3 Handicap (1200m).
The four-year-old daughter of Helmet and Miss Charmagne defeated It’s a Shame Billy ($15) by a half-head.
The win completed a double for jockey Linda meech.
Osborne said he and Meech had walked the track and agreed that the inside was chopping out, and that out wide was the place to be.
“We had the scenario right this time but you can turn up sometimes and be completely wrong,” Osborne said.
“She didn’t have cover but that toughness came through in the last 100 metres when she needed it.”
Osborne pointed to valuable mares’ races at the coming Wagga and Albury carnivals as targets for the mare.
He will step her up in distance, believing she will make a miler given time.
My Divas, raced by Osborne and a number of stable clients, has now won four races with two minor placings from her 14 starts.  

Coming up
The Kyneton & Hanging Rock Racing Club with host its next meeting at bet365 Park Kyneton next Thursday, February 28.
Seymour Racing Club’s next meeting is on Tuesday, March 5.