Kyneton trainer Bob Challis broke the ice after a lean trot when his long-time partner Liz Irwin saddled up Rose of Bordeaux ($14-$9.50) for a nice win at Wodonga last Friday.
Ridden by Jack Martin, the three-year-old daughter of Ilovethiscity and the good producer Rosa Gallica was an easy winner of the Wodonga Jewellers Maiden Plate over 1590 metres.
The filly defeated Artillery Force ($9) by 2¼ lengths with Meladia ($4.20) a further three-quarters of a length away third.
“She hasn’t been racing like she’s been working, so we tweaked a few things and she won well,” Irwin said.
“She looks lean and mean and looks like she should be in the paddock but that’s her. Let’s hope she can put two together now.
“We’ve had a lean time but most of our stable is made up of youngsters and they’re mostly staying types.”
Rose of Bordeaux was bred and is raced by long-time stable client Ralph Portaro. The filly had two minor placings prior to her win, which came at her eighth start.
Reckoning on a roll
Retired Whittlesea trainer Peter Morgan is having plenty of fun with Reckoning ($5.50), who made it back-to-back wins at Sportsbet-Ballarat last Sunday.
Morgan bought Reckoning out of the paddock for stable clients and remains in the ownership of the four-year-old Domesday gelding, who was a comfortable winner of the $50,000 Porter Plant BM78 Handicap over 1400 metres.
Trained at Flemington by Nick Ryan and ridden last Sunday by Brett Prebble, the gelding defeated Taksu ($3.60) by a half-length with Love ’N’ Peace ($12) a further 1¾ lengths away third.
Morgan said the gelding would probably head for a heat of the Winter Championship at Flemington on Saturday week.
Reckoning is a half-brother to Baby Don’t Cry, who won seven races in Morgan’s care. He has now won five races with four minor placings from his 17 starts, earning $139,770.
Zoumaze amazes
The Goodwins of Seymour were quietly confident of Zoumaze’s chances at Echuca on Monday and the mare lived right up to expectations.
Racing for the first time since September last year, the Zoustar four-year-old was most impressive in taking out the Caledonian Hotel Maiden Plate (1209 metres).
Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, Zoumaze was positioned rearward in the nine-horse field, storming down the outside to defeat Brazen Strike ($6) by a half-length with $3.10 favourite Buttercup Baby a further 1¼ lengths away third.
Reece Goodwin, son of trainer Barry, said the mare had taken ill after a pleasing run at Tatura in the spring.
“She unfortunately got very crook after that, I can’t actually recall what the vet called it, something like pneumonia.
“She had to go to Bendigo (Equine Hospital), and a big thanks to them as they got her through that really well.
“We couldn’t have been more happy with how she came up this prep with a couple of nice trials and despite the price ($12-$9.50) we came here quite confident.”
Formerly trained in Sydney by John Sargent, Zoumaze was having her fifth start for the Goodwin stable.
The mare had three minor placings prior to her win, which came at her 16th start overall.
Curtain falls at Kilmore
Kilmore Racing Club will host its last turf meeting at bet365 Park Kilmore for the 2020/21 season next Thursday (May 20).
A la carte dining bookings at Trackside can be made by ringing (03) 5783 0777.