The form from last month’s Warrnambool meeting held up superbly for two exciting young local horses last week.
The Tom Dabernig-trained Nightime Star beat the Maddie Raymond and Patrick Bell-trained Smashing Lad by a half-length in a 1000-metre maiden at their home track on September 22.
They returned for last week’s Thursday meeting and both got the cash, led off by Smashing Lad ($2.10 favourite), who romped away to a 2¾-length win after beginning slowly under John Allen in an 1100-metre maiden.
It was just the third start for the grey Brave Smash colt.
“It probably worked in his favour, stepping away a little bit slow as he just got into such a lovely spot,” Raymond said.
“He relaxed beautifully. He used to get a little bit fired up and a bit keen, but he travelled perfectly today.”
Four races later Nightime Star ($7) came from midfield under apprentice Jordyn Weatherley to take the 1000-metre benchmark 62 by three-quarters of a length.
The Star Turn filly now has two wins and two thirds from five starts.
The other locally trained winner on the Warrnambool program was Wolf Twenty One ($6.50) for Shane Jackson in a 1200-metre benchmark 62.
Ridden by Jackson’s fellow Irish expat Tom Madden, the lightly raced four-year-old took his record to three starts for two wins.
First cab off the rank
The Warrnambool Racing Club will kick off the 2026 jumps season on Thursday March 26. 
Racing Victoria has released the jumps program three months earlier than in previous years, in an attempt to provide greater certainty for trainers, riders, and owners.
The 2026 jumps season, formulated using feedback from the Australian Jumps Racing Association, comprises 53 jumps races (33 hurdles and 20 steeplechases) over 16 meetings at seven venues. 
There have been no prizemoney increases. 
The season concludes with the running of the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat on Sunday August 16.