Goldfields: Miss a hit on Bendigo's big night
By Ben Sporle, August 20, 2019 - 10:16 AM

Miss Leonidas was crowned the 2019/20 Victorian Equine Group Bendigo Horse of the Year on Saturday night in front of 200 guests at the Bendigo Jockey Club.
Shaun Dwyer’s speedster was also named the CEPA Sprinter of the Year from a competitive line-up including All About Nicci, Carlingford and Like to Think So. 
The five-year-old, who has entered her final season, will target sprint features at The Valley this spring, with the Group 2 McEwen Stakes and the Group 1 Moir Stakes on her radar. 
Dwyer had previously won the Horse of the Year title with Anudjawun and Villa Verde.
Making a mark in his first season in Bendigo, Mick Sell was named the Bendigo Jockey Club Trainer of the Year with 16 winners to his name ahead of Kym Hann with eight. 
Much of the credit for Sell’s win went to stable star Penny to Sell, who won four races across the season, more than any other Bendigo galloper. She was crowned the Sandhurst Stockfeeds Middle Distance Horse of the Year.
Arthur Pace, represented on the night by daughter Courtney, also had a good night. He was the PETstock Strike Rate Trainer of the Year, going at 17 per cent, and also trained the Ace Laboratory Picnic Horse of the Year, with Fold winning for the second time.
The Shane Fliedner stable had a clean sweep of nominees for Landmark Two-Year-Old of the Year, with Flemington winner and Thousand Guineas hopeful St Edward’s Crown named the winner.
Bob Donat’s promising galloper Tatunka was the Monk Farriers Three-Year-Old of the Year and will race at Bendigo on Friday. 
Brett Charry’s iron stayer, occasional jumper and back-to-back Birregurra Cup winner Grassini was named the Duggan’s Hydrotherapy Stayer of the Year.
On a personal note, it was a great honour to receive the Donna Philpot Memorial Special Achievement Award for services to the Bendigo racing community, including efforts through this very column. Thanks to Donna’s daughters Montana and Jess for presenting the award on the evening.
Thanks also go out to the Bendigo Trainers Group, headed by Danny Curran and Shane Fliedner, for its organisational work on the night, to MC Ric McIntosh as well as to Aileen Vanderfeen, Anne Maree Curran, Sally Dwyer and the Bendigo Jockey Club’s own Jenny Rawiller.
Brother butters up
Shaun Dwyer had plenty to celebrate on Saturday night — not only Miss Leonidas’s Horse of the Year crowning, but also the win of Brother Paul at Wodonga that day.
Just 11 days after Dylan Dunn piloted the gelding to his fourth win, the son of Globetrotter was back on the winners list, this time in benchmark 64 company. 
Despite his last-start win in a Wodonga benchmark 58, the five-year-old was sent out a $15 chance. He weaved a passage from the back of the field under Billy Egan to score by three-quarters of a length from Vladivostok, with Lindsay Park-trained $3.90 favourite Shark in the Water third.
Dwyer has spaced the horse’s runs since November last year and is now reaping the rewards, with three wins and three placings to his name and earnings of $61,040 from 14 starts.
Goldy again
Another horse undefeated in the new racing season is Les Robertson-trained four-year-old Unique Goldy, who went back-to-back when scoring at Sportsbet-Ballarat on Monday.
From the inside barrier, Unique Goldy led from barrier to box under Harry Coffey to score by 1¼  lengths with an impost of 61 kilograms.
“He’s hearty — all he wants to do is eat and he loves to work but I don’t overdo it,” Robertson said, admitting: "I was a abit frightened of the weight.”
Purchased for just $650, the son of Magic Albert is looking quite the savvy investment with $38,220 to his name from eight starts. 
He may increase that figure when backing up at Seymour on Saturday in a 1200-metre benchmark 64.
The horse was again strapped by Keith Rawiller, just nine days after his maiden win at Donald.
Welcome back, Keats
A welcome face at Bendigo trackwork last Friday was John Keating, back in the saddle after a race fall last April where he broke his T4 and T7 vertebrae and injured his collarbone and neck. Keating rode four horses at trackwork including Flemington winner Hay Now. He hopes to be back riding in races in three to four weeks.

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