Participants ploughed on through last Saturday’s Woolamai meeting, run on a very wet track with conditions proving a real test for many horses.
Downgrades after each of the first two events and a track inspection after race two couldn’t derail the action, which saw Leigh Taylor and Ben Moffat ride doubles on what finished a heavy 10 surface and veteran trainer Ron Hockley taking training honours with a double of his own.
Hockley has his small team of horses firing, with Saturday’s double his second of the season. Not Fake and Lord Chapel got the money for him at Mansfield on November 4, Lord Chapel following up at Woolamai along with maiden winner Morisu Dori.
Americain gelding Lord Chapel was admirably tough under hard riding from the 600m by Leigh Taylor, fighting back to hold out the swooping Summerhill, Tony Rosilini’s Frankel gelding.
Half an hour earlier the 16-start maiden Morisu Dori broke through for Hockley, coming from last under Ben Moffat to edge out the Dennis Julius-trained Hail Hail, with the pair wide apart at the line.
Morisu Dori is a six-year-old mare by Maurice out of the Group 3-placed filly Top Dolly, from the family of Ponton Flyer and Minnesota Shark.
Rule reigns, Star shines
The two biggest wins of the day were recorded by mounts ridden by both Taylor and Moffat.
Rule Of Salex, the US Navy Flag gelding trained by Michael Harrison, made a mess of his rivals in the 2008-metre trophy, winning his third picnic race by a whopping 12 lengths.
Sitting in a stalking role before Taylor pounced on the weakening leader Nasrin at the 550m, the pair raced right away for the easiest of wins, with Toronova and Pine Valley best of the rest.
Earlier Moffat steered the Melissa Page-trained Valorous Star to his first win at start three.
The Brave Smash gelding sporting the Mailbag Bloodstock silks won the 1008-metre race by seven lengths from the Frankie Stockdale-trained Franki’s Bugatti, with another six lengths back to that horse’s stablemate Victory Patch, the huge margins over the short trip indicative of just how testing the ground was.
Wet or dry, Stew can do
The opening race at Woolamai went to the in-form gelding Stewart, backing up his maiden win at Healesville a week earlier on dry ground.
The Sharyn Trolove-trained son of Squamosa is a home-bred out of the trainer’s maiden winner She’s a Pluck and has now won two of seven.
Stewart was ridden by Angela Bence, who went close to a big weekend double at Traralgon on Sunday when the horse she trains, Cudmore Street, ran on for third.
The Woolamai meeting also saw talented claiming rider Jasmine Trenwith notch her first winner for the season at just her second meeting back, steering Acey Deucy to a surprise first-up victory.
Trained by Charlie Gafa at Moe, the seven-year-old Written Tycoon gelding loves Woolamai, where he’s won three times from ten starts.
Acey Deucy’s two wins before Saturday came over 2008 metres at Woolamai on January 13, 2024, and in the 2025 edition of the same race on January 11 this year. 
The surprise about Saturday’s win was that it came first up over 1008 metres, which is why he jumped a $14 chance.
It’s back to Balnarring this Saturday.