Tony McEvoy’s lightly raced three-year-old Scarecrow lived up to some big wraps by winning the benchmark 70 DC Vending Handicap (1300m) on the Parks circuit at Morphettville last Saturday. 
Scarecrow ($1.75 favourite) had earned the praise of some good judges at his previous start, at Gawler, cruising home by 3¼ lengths from Institution, who would further frank the form later on the card.
 Last Saturday Scarecrow was well placed throughout under Jason Holder and convincingly beat the Ryan Balfour-trained Bris Vegas by three-quarters of a length, with a 2½-length gap to the Mick Price-trained Troon in third.
Scarecrow, who now boasts two wins and a second from three starts, is likely to head to Melbourne for his next assignment.
Kennewell clicks
Later on the Parks card, young horseman Lloyd Kennewell finished the first half of the racing season in great style when he landed a running double.
Kennewell brought up the first of his winners when Institution ($1.65 favourite) came from worse than midfield to take out the Medallion Homes Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1000m) under Joe Bowditch.
Kennewell completed his double 35 minutes later when Heart of a Lion ($5.50) won the benchmark 90 Holdfast Insurance Handicap (1000m). 
Resuming after a long spell, Heart of a Lion gave Kennewell’s apprentice Alfred Chan his first winner for his master. 
Kennewell’s double took him to 10 winners for the first six months of the Adelaide season, placing him sixth on the premiership.
His career best for a season is 24 Adelaide winners, achieved in 2010/11.
Dazzle swoops …
Apprentice Sairyn Fawke sprang a surprise when he guided Red Dazzle to victory in the benchmark 70 Schweppes Handicap (1250m) at the Parks meeting. 
Trained at Strathalbyn by Peter Moody, Red Dazzle was the outsider of the six-horse field at $18, but charged home from last to beat $2.90 favourite Rupture by half a length. 
… as does Simpatico
Langhorne Creek trainer Judy Potts has only one horse in work at present, so two wins in the month of January ranks as a significant achievement.
Like Red Dazzle earlier in the day, her charge Simpatico started the outsider in a small field (at $8) and came from last to win the benchmark 64 The Junction Handicap (1400m). Ryan Hurdle was the jockey as Simpatico got up by the narrowest of margins.
The eight-year-old now has seven wins from 48 starts including two from his past three, having scored at Murray Bridge on New Year’s Day.
Huxtable on fire
Apprentice Justin Huxtable with a treble and Mt Gambier trainer Peter Hardacre with a double were the starts of racing at Bordertown on Tuesday.
Huxtable’s winners were Costa Lante, Blonde Missile and the Hardacre-trained Braeview Miss. Hardacre’s other winner was A Quiet Drink.
Wednesday saw Todd Pannell leading the way at Gawler with a riding double on Commanding Diva and Centurius.

Farewell to a stalwart
I was saddened to hear of the death on Australia Day of former SA race caller John O’Neil. 
An outstanding contributor to the racing industry John was honoured with membership of the Order of Australia in 2005. 
He called his first race at Berri in late 1940 and his first metropolitan race, a jumpers’ flat at Gawler, in 1951.
O’Neil called for radio 5DN, and on relay to Melbourne’s 3UZ, until 1970. He became well known to Melbourne and Sydney listeners as co-host of Three-Way Turf Talk with Bert Bryant and Cliff Cary.
In 1976 he became the ABC’s Adelaide race caller, retaining the role until it ceased race broadcasting in 1986.
A past contributor to both Winning Post and Best Bets, O’Neil was racecourse announcer for the SAJC from 1996 until last year and until recently hosted the Saturday morning racing show on Coast FM. 
He was a valued member of the Adelaide Racing Fraternity Mass committee, and last August completed his 40th year as host of a Darwin Cup tour.