Kyneton trainer George Osborne rounded off a successful November when he saddled up Mistake ($7) for a comprehensive win at Yarra Valley last Saturday.
Racing for the first time since failing to beat a runner home at Corowa (NSW) last July, the four-year-old Turffontein gelding took out the OPC Health 0-58 Handicap (1009m).
Ridden by Harry Coffey, the gelding defeated the Alicia Macpherson-trained Missandei ($7) by 1¾ lengths with $3.50 favourite Kaphit a close-up third.
“He goes okay and should win a couple more. He has a bit of a breathing problem, which is why he wears a tongue tie,” Osborne said.
Osborne purchased Mistake from Romsey’s Supreme Thoroughbreds after he was passed in at the 2016 Inglis Great Southern yearling sale on a reserve price of $10,000. 
Mistake now has two wins and two minor placings from seven starts.
The previous day, at Wodonga’s successful cup meeting, Osborne’s Reine Happy ($8) went one better than his last-start second to stablemate Salty Kisses on Kyneton Cup day, taking out the $35,000 Naughtin Development Group Dunstan Sprint BM64 Handicap (1100m).
Ridden by in-form Riverina apprentice Tyler Schiller, who rode a winning treble at Wagga the following day, the eight-year-old Good Journey gelding defeated the Alicia Macpherson-trained First Watch ($11) by 2¼ lengths with Booradley ($9) third.
Osborne purchased Reine Happy at the 2013 Magic Millions Adelaide yearling sale for $8000. The gelding has nine wins, 11 minor placings and $154,315 from his 45 starts.
Osborne races both Mistake and Reine Happy in partnership with clients.
Osborne finished November with 36 starters for nine winners at a strike rate of 25 per cent.
Win a tonic for Eric
Kilmore Racing Club life member Eric Buttler, who hasn’t enjoyed the best of health of late, watched the Bendigo win of his home-bred It’s Meant to Be from his hospital bed last Thursday.
The Shane Nichols-trained four-year-old gelding by Danerich from Destiny Lady went one better than his debut second on the same track in August, scoring an all-the-way win in the $23,000 Bendigo Mazda Maiden Plate (1100m).
It’s Meant to Be, sent out a $2.10 favourite, beat The Driller ($4.20) by four lengths.
He was the first leg of a riding double for Luke Currie, who’d go on to win the Group 1 Winterbottom on Hey Doc two days later.
“We were hoping to get something to trail up but obviously he begins very well, travelled sweet and had control of the race all the way. It was quite an impressive win,” Nichols said.
Buttler races the gelding with a Hong Kong-based partner.