Seymour trainer Barry Goodwin made it back-to-back Ballarat synthetic wins with Mister Hay Zee ($6) last Friday.
The six-year-old Toorak Toff gelding made the big step from a maiden win 18 days earlier to take out the $35,000 Porter Plant BM64 Handicap (1400m).
With Jarrod Fry again in the saddle, the gelding defeated El Phoenix ($8) by a half-head with $4.20 favourite Duchess Grace a further 1¾ lengths astern third.
Deputising for his father, leading picnic rider Reece Goodwin said after the race that he was delighted with the win. 
“Everyone knows it’s pretty hard to go from a maiden win to a 58, let alone a maiden to 64. Very happy with that.
“We’ve always liked him. He’s been a slow maturer. He’d only had a handful of starts and the owners have had to have a lot of patience.”
A home-bred for Mangalore Park Racing and raced by a number of stable clients, the consistent Mister Hay Zee has had seven starts for two wins and three minor placings.
The Goodwins and Fry were back in the winner’s stall at the Racing.com Park Pakenham synthetic meeting on Monday, winning with Military Striker ($3.70) in the XXXX Gold BM58 (1400m).
The six-year-old Strategic Maneuver gelding defeated Ardee ($5) by three-quarters of a length with $3.60 favourite Miss Mo a neck away third.
Bred by Caulfield and Melbourne cups-winning trainer Sheila Laxon and previously trained by her and partner John Symons, the gelding was purchased online by the Goodwins.
“We picked him up really cheap online and he basically won that money back in the first couple of starts for us so whatever he wins now is a bonus,” Reece Goodwin said.
The Goodwins had expected Military Striker to be a heavy-tracker, but a jumpout at Ballarat convinced them he was also suited to synthetic surfaces. He has raced exclusively on synthetic tracks this campaign for two wins and a second.
“Who knows? He might have an extra gear in the wet,” Reece Goodwin said.
Military Striker now has two wins and four minor placings from 11 starts.
Star rises at last
The trip back down the Wimmera Highway was a happy one last Saturday for Kyneton trainers Ted Grogan and George Osborne.
Grogan saddled up Dylan’s Star ($10) for his first win at start number 45 in the Pea Co Maiden Plate (1624m).
Ridden by promising apprentice Logan McNeil, the six-year-old Dylan Thomas gelding defeated Mississippi Grace ($8.50) by 1½ lengths.
Dylan’s Star had one start for Mick Price in 2016 before being packed off to the Hunter Valley, where he had 19 starts for three minor placings. Returned to Victoria last spring, he had four starts for Cranbourne-based Julie Crosbie before joining Grogan.
Grogan finally got the breakthrough with Dylan’s Star after starting him 21 times since January 16.
Later, Osborne and in-form hoop Dean Holland combined to win the last of nine at Donald.
They sent punters home happy when $2.90 favourite Reine Happy, an eight-year-old Good Journey gelding, won the JH Penfold 0-58 Handicap (1002m), defeating Hawksmoor ($4.60) by 2¼ lengths.
Osborne bought the gelding for a bargain price of $8000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Adelaide yearling sale for himself and a number of stable clients.
Reine Happy has now won seven races with nine minor placings, earning $112,905 from 39 starts.
Seven stars
Former Kilmore Racing Club chair Eric Buttler, wife Marlene and their extended family had a good result with Seven Year Reward ($3 favourite) at the official opening of the new Murray Bridge track last Saturday.
The six-year-old gelding, by Reward For Effort out of the good producer Seven Year Itch, was having his third start for Morphettville trainer Will Clarken when he scored an impressive win in the $45,000 Spry Civil Construction Handicap (1000m).
Ridden by Adelaide hoop Todd Pannell, the gelding defeated stablemate Tiara Star ($10) by 1¼ lengths.
Bred at the Buttlers’ Rangal Park Stud at Euroa, Seven Year Reward now has five wins, seven minor placings and $141,950 from 21 starts.
The Buttlers went close to making it a weekend double at Bendigo on Sunday when their debutant It’s Meant To Be was a luckless second to $2.90 favourite Deploys Alone in the $35,000 Silk Day Spa 4YO+ Maiden Plate (1000m).
Trained at Mornington by Shane Nichols, the four-year-old Danerich gelding is worth following.
Seymour’s back
Ladies Day will be the theme on Saturday week (August 24) when Seymour races for the first time since June 6.
For racegoers who want to make a day of it, tickets at just $40 for members and $50 for non-members cover admission, reserved seating in the Bar Landy restaurant, a glass of Mitchelton bubbly on arrival and a two-course table-service lunch, with door prizes and giveaways.
For bookings or further enquiries ring the SRC on (03) 5799 1681.