Seymour Racing Club committeeman Frank Butler’s home-bred Admiral’s Joker ($5.50) made it back-to-back wins at Geelong on Sunday.
The seven-year-old gelding by Bel Esprit and Admiral’s Lady, racing for the first time since a Flemington victory in May, came from last in the 10-horse field to take out the $35,000 Paul Kelly Creative BM78 Handicap (1118m) in impressive style.
Trained at Colac by Kylie Vella and ridden by her husband, Steven, the gelding defeated La Tigeresa ($7.50) by a half-head with Fill the Flute ($6) a further 4¼ lengths away third.
Butler, who races the gelding with wife Karen and daughter Katelyn, said it has been a long, patient road with the gelding, who has had plenty of issues along the way.
“Kylie had him nominated for the Bobbie Lewis Quality (Group 2) at Flemington last Saturday but she said it might have been too hard a run for him,” he said.
“She thought Geelong might be a good trial for him.”
The lightly raced Admiral’s Joker now has four wins and four minor placings from 11 starts, earning $214,375 in prizemoney.
Luke’s black-bookers
Romsey trainer Luke Oliver had a luckless and long (345km each way) trip to Bairnsdale on Monday with his team.
Oliver had two runners in the Bet365 Tote Plus 4YO+ Maiden Plate (1200m) — debutant A Lone Hero ($4.20) and GwennyBegg ($16).
GwennyBegg, ridden by Irish hoop Martin Harley, came from the rear of the field to go down to $2.90 favourite Kamien by a short half-head, while A Lone Hero was cramped on the rails for most of the journey and finished fifth.
It will pay to follow both runners as well as Harley, who is having a few months’ stint in Australia with the Maher/Eustace stable.
Harley rode three winners from his first seven mounts since starting his Aussie stint last Saturday.
All the best
Best wishes for the future to former Seymour apprentice and Group 1-winning jockey Nikita Beriman, who recently announced her retirement due to persistent hip injuries.
Beriman had 695 victories and was the first female jockey to win the Group 1 Emirates Stakes, aboard $101 pop Tears I Cry in 2007.
I hope she can find a position somewhere in the industry near Caloundra, where she is settling in retirement.