Maxwell Keenan used last Saturday’s season-opener at Balnarring to double his lead at the top of this season’s jockey premiership, riding a double and taking his season tally to eight wins from 12 rides. 
Multiple past premier Courtney Pace shared the honours with Keenan, joining Grant Seccombe in second place on the table with four wins.
Keenan was on the board early, as he teamed with father Alan and stable debutante Baby Cakes ($2.30 favourite) to take the opening event on the card, the BetEasy Maiden Plate over 1050 metres. 
Leading from the jump, Keenan had a tight grip on the Reliable Man mare, and despite pressure from a line of three runners Baby Cakes was able to establish a winning break on the corner and idle down to the line an easy winner. 
Lightly raced for a five-year-old, the well bred mare was formerly trained by another Cranbourne trainer in Cindy Alderson. Saturday’s win was her first from six starts. 
Keenan’s second winner for the day would come on another Cranbourne-trained galloper in the form of eight-year-old So Able ($3.60). 
Prior to Saturday’s win, the Shane McCusker-trained gelding had built up a handy record of five wins from only 25 starts. 
His only other trip to the amateurs yielded a dominant win at Woolamai in January this year, and owing to his solid overall record at the professionals he was tasked with lumping 70kg for his Balnarring assignment. 
It mattered little though, with Keenan’s confident ride an indicator of how much So Able had on his seven rivals. 
After travelling off the rail and pressing the leader for the first half of the 1600m event, Keenan shot So Able well clear turning and the duo cleared right out for a dominant 3¾-length win. 
Don’t be surprised to see So Able pop up at the professionals in the weeks to come. 
A pair for Pace
Courtney Pace’s first winner came in the second on the program as she piloted the Don Dwyer-trained At Large ($2) to an easy win in the Leigh’s Bucks Maiden Plate over 1200 metres. 
Pace rode a positive race on the four-year-old, stalking the leader throughout. Riding hard, Pace sent At Large clear at the top of the straight and she cleared out for an easy 3¼-length success.  
At Large’s form when trained over the border in NSW was less than inspiring — a second placing at Gundagai on New Year’s Day was her best result from seven starts. 
In two starts since moving to Dwyer’s Seymour base, the daughter of Wanted has managed a fresh placing at Healesville’s Derby day meeting and Saturday’s Balnarring success. 
Pace completed her double with victory in the last, the Vale Les Obriem Trophy Race (1600m), on another formerly interstate-trained galloper. 
Now in the care of Ballarat-based Anthony Cosgriff, six-year-old gelding Red My Mind has been well travelled in 23 runs to date. 
The son of Giant’s Causeway stallion Red Giant began his career in New Zealand before finding his way to the Canberra base of Matthew Dale. 
With only two rivals at Balnarring, Pace allowed Red My Mind to balance up at the rear of the field as the two leaders matched motors ahead. 
With the home turn in sight, Shaun Cooper sent short-priced favourite East West ($1.60) to the lead — briefly. Pace soon ranged up on Red My Mind and breezed on by for a comfortable 1¼-length win. 
Yea, verily
This Saturday picnic racing heads north for Yea’s first meeting of 2019/20, where strong fields should ensure a great day of amateur racing.