Central Victoria: Rising nine, Donchess delivers
By Paul Egan, July 16, 2019 - 11:33 AM

Kyneton trainer Bob Challis, longtime partner Liz Irwin and longtime stable client Ralph Portaro got a real buzz out of the win of The Donchess ($11) at Bendigo on Sunday.
The eight-year-old daughter of Southern Image and Rosa Gallica was a narrow but impressive winner of the $50,000 Bet365 Official Price Guarantee BM78 Handicap (2200m).
The mare, placed beautifully in the run by apprentice Lucinda Doodt, hung on to defeat $3 favourite Meteor Light by a half-head with Nashville Sound ($3.20) a long neck away third.
“I was watching from the stalls and I thought she got beat,” Irwin said.
“She’s rising nine years old now and she’s going better than ever. She’s so honest and just loves the softer tracks,” she said.
Portaro and Irwin purchased The Donchess’s grandmother in New Zealand, but according to Irwin she “couldn’t go a yard”.
“It was good to see Ralph at Bendigo as he doesn’t get to the races very often due to his business commitments,” she said.
The Donchess has now won five races with 10 minor placings from her 32 starts.
From Sunday’s win the mare earned $41,500 for her connections, including VOBIS Gold bonuses.
Another Dyer double 
Another Kyneton trainer, Neil Dyer, kept up the good work last Saturday on his annual trip to Darwin.
Dyer saddled up his third consecutive Saturday winning double at Fannie Bay, winning with Mulk ($2.50 favourite) and Ruth’s Boy ($12).
Mulk, a four-year-old Sepoy gelding, made it three Top End wins in succession in taking out the Sunbuild 0-66 Handicap (1300m).
Ridden by New South Wales hoop Terry Treichel, the gelding led all the way to defeat Zap by 4¼ lengths.
The gelding has now won five races with nine minor placings from 29 starts.
Dyer completed the double with Ruth’s Boy ($12) in the Arctic Installations 0-58 Handicap (1000m).
Ridden by local hoop Ray Vigar, the six-year-old Written Tycoon gelding defeated $3.30 favourite Tregorik by a length.
Formerly trained by Michael Templeton, Ruth’s Boy has three wins from 30 starts. 
Black strikes for Brown 
Seymour trainer Stephen Brown has headed back to his old stamping ground for this year’s Darwin carnival, taking a few of his team.
Brown, a top Darwin trainer for many years, won at Fannie Bay last Saturday with Black Hat ($5).
The Kiwi-bred four-year-old Savabeel gelding, having his second start on the dirt surface, took out the CJD Equipment Pty Ltd Maiden Plate (1200m).
Ridden by Victorian apprentice Mitchell Aitken, the gelding defeated $4.20 favourite Beermint by 1½ lengths.
Formerly trained by Tony McEvoy, the gelding had three minor placings from 12 starts prior to his win.
Get well, Tahlia
District racing people wish former Seymour apprentice Tahlia Hope a speedy recovery from a serious bout of viral meningitis.
The jockey was taken to Frankston hospital after taking ill at the Mornington trials last Wednesday.
According to her mother, Lisa Bird, Tahlia was moved from ICU last Friday to the cardiac ward.
She is on a IV drip and will have that treatment for about three weeks.
Her mother thanks all who have sent messages, flowers and gifts.
All the best, Chook.
 

 

Today's Racing
Thursday 28 March
Friday 29 March
Saturday 30 March
Social Networking