Newcastle trainer Jay Hopkins, with just six horses in work, is still celebrating the biggest win of his career after Sonofdec took out last Saturday’s $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500 metres) at Randwick. 
Jockey Jean Van Overmeire was able to settle Sonofdec ($20) just off the pace, before sooling him to the front in the straight. The favourite, Meridiana, got caught up in traffic but charged home late to finish second, beaten a half-length. 
“This is great. It’s unbelievable, actually,” Hopkins said.  
“We came here thinking that he’d be hard to beat and it worked out well. He positioned up well on the wet track. 
“I didn’t think he’d sit so handy but he jumped away with them today, which he hasn’t done all preparation, and ended up in a good spot. The owners will be excited, I am.”
Van Overmeire said the win proved the value of the Midway series.
“For guys like Jay, it’s a great initiative and I appreciate Jay calling up and asking if we wanted the ride,” he said. 
“It was a nice win. We were in the gates for a while and Sonofdec probably just stepped a bit slow but he was quick to muster after that so it landed us in a prime spot. 
“This gave me the opportunity to slide up the fence and then come off, so it worked out really nice.”
‘Quirky’ mare delivers
Goulburn’s Matthew Dale was another trainer to spring a surprise at the Golden Eagle meeting, winning the 1300-metre benchmark 78 for fillies and mares with $41 chance Bravissima.
The chestnut led all the way to win by a length and a half from the favourite, Transcend, with $101 rank outsider Miss Emma a half-length further away in third. 
“That was super,” winning jockey Andrew Gibbons said on returning to scale. 
“She bounced well. He’s a very smart man, Matty. He said with that light weight take advantage of it and go forward. 
“I didn’t think I’d lead but when she got there she just relaxed so well. It was just a matter of clicking her up enough to get her to the right part of the track. 
“When I did, she quickened well and there were some handy horses in behind her, so it was a terrific effort. 
“She’s a quirky sort of horse. She’s a bit weird in your hands. She doesn’t really take it up the way you’d like but I knew she had a lot to offer. 
“When I clicked her up, I had to do it a bit before the rise, which is not ideal, but when you need to get to the middle, you need to go a bit sooner to get there. 
“When she got there, I thought she was a bit vulnerable but her last (200m) she stretched away and won quite easily.”
Open and shut 
In what must have been one of the shortest protest hearings in quite some time, Lovewillcomelater ($21) was declared the winner of the 1400-metre TAB Highway Handicap following an objection lodged by jockey Nash Rawiller. 
In a thrilling finish, Kreon ($9.50) was initially declared the winner, with the margin just a nose. On returning to scale, Rawiller lodged his protest, alleging that his mount had suffered interference about 50 metres from the winning post due to Kreon veering out. 
The stewards upheld the protest, with chief steward Tom Moxon stating that he was “comfortably satisfied” that the interference had cost Lovewillcomelater the race. 
Lovewillcomelater has won twice from four starts since joining the Ballina stable of Jordan Lee from Barry Lockwood’s Queensland yard.
Around the traps
Local trainer Michael Travers was the toast of Wagga last Friday after leading in three winners on the eight-race program. 
Among his winners was $3.80 favourite Star Empire in the 1600-metre Bragger Cup, ridden by John Kissick. 
Earlier, the 3200-metre benchmark 74 Mountaineer Cup saw a dominant 4½-length win to the Pat Murphy-trained Goofinator ($3.90), with Shaun Guymer in the saddle. 
In the feature Sadlier Stakes (1400m), the Donna Scott-trained $3.30 favourite Villasaurus proved a shade too strong under Blaike McDougall for topweight and second favourite Canny Hell. 
At Moree the same afternoon, Les Tilley fared best of the riders with a winning treble. 
On Sunday at Muswellbrook, Scone-based training partners Brett and Georgie Cavanough led in a winning double, as did local trainer Wayne Wilkes. Apprentices Braith Nock and Shae Wilkes rode a double apiece to share riding honours.
At Nowra the same day the Joseph/Jones training partnership landed a winning double.
Coming attractions
This Friday is cup day at Kempsey, with the feature over 1450 metres and worth $40,000. A $50,000 Super Maiden over the same trip is the main support act. 
On Saturday Broken Hill hosts the Silver City Cup (1600m). 
Sunday’s action includes the 1400-metre Guyra Cup and a $50,000 Super Maiden (1100m) at Armidale, while at Warren the highlight will be the running of the 1600-metre Cotton Cup.