Kilmore trainer Hanna Powell made it back-to-back wins with her home-bred Kiss Me If You Can ($6) at Bendigo last Sunday, taking out the $35,000 The Big Screen BM64 Handicap over 1500 metres.
Coming off an impressive Geelong win a fortnight earlier and again ridden by Luke Nolen, the O’Lonhro five-year-old beat Elarski ($8.50) by three-quarters of a length with $4.40 favourite Confrontational a neck away third.
“I didn’t give Luke any instructions, I just said, ‘Do what you did last time,’ and he carried that out to the letter,” Powell said.
Powell was also full of praise for former jockey and stable assistant Jason Baldock.
“He does all my trackwork and stable duties and I couldn’t do without him,” she said.
Powell, who bred Kiss Me If You Can out of her Invincible Spirit mare Ellakeira and races him in partnership, says the gelding is so relaxed in his races that he might eventually get out to 2000 metres.
“I’ll look for a mile for his next start in a fortnight or so as he’s pulled up very well,” she said.
The consistent Kiss Me If You Can has now won four races with nine minor placings from his 19 starts, earning $122,882.
Kyla on song
Earlier on the Bendigo program, Kyneton trainer George Osborne saddled up Kyla ($11) for a narrow win.
The well named four-year-old (by Your Song from Weekend in Manila, she is named after a Filipina R&B star), took out the $35,000 Bendigo Magazine Maiden Plate over 1400 metres.
Ridden by Patrick Moloney, the mare defeated $3.10 favourite Shalily by a half-head with Moxatation ($21) a short half-head away third.
Kyla was a bargain buy for Osborne, who bought her at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide yearling sale for $5000 and races her in partnership with stable clients.
The mare had three second placings prior to Sunday’s win, which came at her 12th start. She has earned $54,950.
Ojosan impresses
Seymour trainer David “Butch” Bourne saddled up the promising Ojosan ($4.40 favourite) for a most impressive win at Wangaratta last week.
The three-year-old Mikki Isle filly took out the $35,000 Sportsbet Set A Deposit Limit BM64 Handicap over 1100 metres.
Giving the in-form hoop Billy Egan the second leg of a riding double, the filly defeated Lord Domino ($5) by three lengths with Mojo Music ($8.50) a further three-quarters of a length away third.
Bourne purchased the filly at the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale on behalf of a client for $50,000.
The consistent Ojosan has now won two races with four minor placings from seven starts, already exceeding her purchase price with $61,060 in prizemoney.
Sandown suits Brew
Hope Racing manager Carol Shinn says last week’s midweek Ladbrokes Park Sandown winner, Big Brew, will have his next start at the same track.
“The gelding pulled up well and we’ll head back to Sandown with plenty of suitable options there in the next six weeks,” she said.
Big Brew, who is thriving in the country environment and a stable favourite due to his nature, was having his fifth start for Hope Racing. Previously with the Kavanagh stable at Flemington, he has four wins from 29 starts overall.