The smaller stables of Justin Pickering, Darren McLeod, Ashton Downing, Gary Boyce and Kym Healy made for a memorable TAB Finals Day at Morphettville last Saturday with a winner apiece.
Murray Bridge-based Pickering was the first of them to provide a winner when All Beans, the $2.90 favourite, won the benchmark 70 Glynn Pretty Country Series Final (1200m) under apprentice Margaret Collett, who is Pickering’s partner.
The win of All Beans gave Collett the first leg of a double, which she completed when another Murray Bridge galloper, the Downing-trained Manzala ($21), came from one off the pace to win the benchmark 80 TAB Skybeau Series Finals (2500m).
Gawler-based McLeod, who has nine horses in work, had to settle for second in that race with Zoffala ($26) but had been all smiles 40 minutes earlier when Danish Fortune ($16) took the TAB Happy Trails Series Final (1600m).  
This is only McLeod’s second season as a trainer but a thorough apprenticesip included stints with John O’Shea in Sydney, the Hayes family at Euroa and Tony McEvoy at Kildalton Park, Angaston.
Well placed throughout under Teagan Voorham, Danish Fortune scored the narrowest of victories from the Jake Stephens-trained En Francais ($3.10), with a gap to odds-on favourite Thirsty Guest in third.  
Boyce, with just two horses in work, hails from a “horsey” family, with two brothers competing in showjumping events and another brother working as a farrier.
He got his Finals Day moment when Punchin ($19) won the special-conditions David Peacock Restricted Series Final (1800m), leading all the way to give Kayla Crowther the first leg of a riding double.
Crowther landed her second winner when Wakanjeja ($2.50 favourite) came from last to complete a hat-trick in the benchmark 68 Riziz Series Final over 1100 metres.
Strathalbyn-based Healy completed a good day for the battlers when Starlite Valley ($3.30) won the benchmark 68 TAB Viddora Series Final (1200m) for fillies and mares.
The five-year-old Valentia mare led all the way under Sheriden Tomlinson to make it seven wins from 21 starts and $238,645 in prizemoney.
Dom Tourneur kept up his good form with a Finals Day riding double, taking the benchmark 70 Fileur Country Mile Final (1600m) on $2.15 favourite Midnight Mass for Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor, and the Gytrash Series Final (1200m) on the Peter and Belinda Blanch-trained Validated ($5).
Partners prosper
The stables of John Dunn/Krystal Bishop and Julie Branford/Hayley Dorward shared the training honours with three winners apiece at Port Lincoln last Sunday.
Dunn and Bishop won with Fearless Al ($41) in a benchmark 66 over 1750 metres, Messerschmitt ($5.50) in a 1210-metre benchmark 56 and $6 chance Ahso in a benchmark 60 handicap over 1350 metres.
Branford and Dorward won with Levee ($6) in a 1250-metre maiden, Prescient ($6) in a 1210-metre benchmark 56 and Jaazeb ($4.80) in a 1250-metre benchmark 74.
Riding honours were shared by Stacey Metcalfe, who rode Fearless Al and Levee, and apprentice Rochelle Milnes (Messerchmitt and Ahso).
Three join hall
Congratulations to breeder and former SAJC chairman David Peacock, former jockey Glynn Pretty and the connections of Fileur on their elevation to the SA Racing Hall of Fame last Saturday.

Lachy in luck
Lachlan Neindorf was the star at Gawler on Wednesday with a riding treble. Two of his winners came from the Victor Harbor stable of Jake Stephens — favourites Maiden Flight ($2.70) and Exopipi ($3.40) — while his third winner was Monseagle ($3.80) for Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle stable.

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