The Horse of the Year race is still on ahead of this Sunday’s Swifts Creek season wrap-up after the chasing pack failed to strike a blow at Balnarring last week.
The Jason Evans-trained Sacra was a maiden at the beginning of the season, but her six wins have her holding on to the lead by one from four challengers, three of which went around last Saturday.
Pine Valley finished second,  Annoy’en One third and Spirit Maker fourth, all ridden by leading hoop Shaun Cooper. All three stay on five wins for 2024/25.
Don Dwyer’s Pine Valley has been remarkably consistent, racing 14 times on the Victorian picnic circuit for five wins, six seconds and two thirds.
The Spieth gelding was edged out on Saturday by the tough Anything But ($9), trained by Reg Manning.
The Savabeel nine-year-old had his 93rd start and chalked up his ninth win. He too has had a busy season, racing 18 times across TAB and picnic meetings for three wins, three seconds and three thirds.
Annoy’en One went around favourite with top weight of 71½kg and ran well for third, but was no match for the Tyson Barton-trained Kahungunu ($6.50), who notched his second win for the season.
Spirit Maker was also sound in defeat, beaten less than two lengths when fourth to $3.50 favourite Juice Box.
The Rebecca Kelly-trained Juice Box recorded her seventh win at start 40, lumping topweight of 72kg to a one-length win. The six-year-old daughter of Kuroshio was having her first start at the picnics and  asserted her class, having last tasted success 11 months ago at Sale.
The other horse to have scored five wins on the Victorian picnic circuit this season is the Peter Foster-trained Lika Mosh.
Maddi wins on Midi
Brooke Verwey-Mitchell didn’t taste victory with her season star Annoy’en One, but did leave Balnarring a winner thanks to her Rich Enuff mare Midivani ($7).
With Maddi Morris riding, the six-year-old was a strong winner over 1200 metres, having scored over 1500 metres at Yea back in January, when she proved a length too good for the prolific Pine Valley.
A Man in form
The Ian Pankhurst-trained Downtown Man has left his run a tad late for Horse of the Year honours, but he’s finishing the season in style.
The Manhattan Rain gelding made it three on the bounce and four wins since February when he scooted to a comfortable 1¾-length win at Balnarring under a similarly in-form Mel McDonald who brought up her 20th win for the season.
Dylan delivers
Budding Racing Victoria apprentice Dylan Dean took riding honours at Balnarring with a treble to go to 14 wins for the season.
Dean won the maiden at the start of the day for Robbie Griffiths on the Magnus filly Magnea ($1.70 favourite) before combining with Kahungunu and Anything But.