Caulfield’s Zipping Classic program wasn’t alone in being affected by wet weather in Victoria last week, with Woolamai’s surface downgraded to heavy after the first race. 
The wet conditions might have played a part in making it a dreary day for punters with just one favourite saluting, but betting aside it was again good to see the spoils evenly shared — for the second week in a row no jockey or trainer had more than one winner.
The program kicked off with a bang for young 3kg-claiming rider Sophie Clayfield, who notched her first winner.
Eleven months after she began her picnic riding career at the same track, Clayfield broke through at attempt 15 on the David Noonan-trained Shahin ($3.10), a nine-start maiden himself. The son of Shalaa clearly liked the conditions as his only two prior placings were on the wet, at Woolamai and Balnarring last season.
Clayfield and Noonan weren’t far off  a double when they combined in the 1000-metre open trophy with Spirit Maker, runner-up to $8 chance Street Swagger.
The Street Boss five-year-old notched his fourth win at start 16 and helped keep trainer Troy Kilgower atop the training premiership on four wins.
It was also the fourth win of the season for Grant Seccombe, which has him tied with Shaun Cooper and Leigh Taylor at the top of the riding premiership.
Cooper’s rare winless afternoon saw him joined by both Seccombe and Taylor, the latter winning the 2008-metre open trophy on the Peter Foster-trained Mr Zigmund ($5).
An eight-year-old gelding by Zoffany, Mr Zigmund won four races on King Island before joining Foster early this year. He’d been placed four times at the picnics prior to Saturday’s win.
Runner-up Popeye The Sailor must surely be close to a victory himself, having finished second in all three picnic runs this season.
Involved again
There aren’t a lot of picnic runners that have been in the one stable all their lives, but that is the case for the five-year-old Wandjina gelding More Than Involved, winner of a restricted trophy over 1008 metres on Saturday.
The only favourite to salute on the day (a $3.50 chance), More Than Involved was bought by trainer Barry Goodwin for $20,000 as a yearling in 2020.
He won a Healesville maiden in March this year and was third in 0-58 grade on the Pakenham synthetic in July. Saturday’s win took his earnings to $12,545.
It was good to see Maddison Morris in the saddle for the win, her first ride for the season since she rode in the Cranbourne Corinthian in October. Morris rode eight winners last season at an impresive strike rate of 38 per cent.
Galleria comes good
Dylan Dean had his 50th ride at Woolamai on Saturday and brought up his seventh winner on the track when taking the 1608-metre maiden on the Daniel Williams-trained Galleria ($9).
Well known and liked in the industry, Dean is the brother and son of fellow jockey valets Jordan and Colin. This win took his career tally to 34, and he’s had more success at Woolamai than anywhere else.
Galleria had struggled in two runs each for Alicia MacPherson and the Griffiths/De Kock stable prior to joining Williams.
She is a well related mare — by Exosphere out of the family of Bonanova, Telesto and Fraternity.
She wasn’t the longest-priced winner of the day, though. That honour went to the final winner, Tofik Tok at $13.
The Toorak Toff gelding was the first winner for Moe trainer Mervyn Moser  since scoring with Diamond The Lad at Mansfield back in 2016.
Tofik Tok was only having his fifth start for Moser, having won a Woolamai maiden for Ray Caldwell in February 2022.
This weekend sees a bumper double-header of picnic action. Balnarring races on Saturday while Yea hosts the Sister Olive Handicap (3000m) on Sunday.