Racing returned to Royal Donald last Saturday, with the Donald Classic for two-year-olds a highlight on a terrific program. 
Tony and Calvin McEvoy claimed the prize, with their filly Shintono ($3.80) scoring a final-stride victory in a thrilling edition of the 1200-metre feature event. 
Jockey Linda Meech found a lovely trailing position throughout but in the home straight had to throw everything at her filly, who never really looked like picking up the leader until the final bound. 
Cosmic Voyage ($3.60 favourite) fought gamely from on speed and looked like he’d pinched it for trainer Danny O’Brien, while Pinazaki ($4.60) was the eye-catcher from the back for Peter Moody and Kath Coleman. 
All honours the winner, however, the daughter of Satono Aladdin digging deep late to ensure the photo judge earned their keep, the margin a nose on the line.
Jumps give Jet a jolt
Andrew Bobbin’s reborn galloper Jet Jitsu ($5) proved his Stawell win was no fluke when he made it back-to-back wins at the Donald meeting. 
The seven-year-old son of Ajaya struggled in four runs back from a spell before Bobbin took the unconventional approach of taking him to the hurdle trials, a move paying immediate dividends for the Stawell trainer. 
In-form hoop Linda Meech made an early move on the rejuvenated gelding approaching the home bend, taking over on straightening and never looking in danger of defeat, scoring by 1½ lengths in the 1600-metre benchmark 56. 
The stable favourite now has seven wins from 33 starts since joining the Bobbin yard as a seven-start maiden in 2022.
Linda leads the way
Leading rider Linda Meech led her rivals a merry dance at Donald, bagging four winners from five rides in an almost faultless display. 
Together with the aforementioned wins, Meech earlier teamed up with Andrew Bobbin in the 1600-metre maiden to guide Blindato ($11) to the softest of last-to-first wins, before having to work much harder on Kate Goodrich’s Over Shady ($4.60) in the last event. 
Her only blemish came when settling for third in the opener aboard Russian Sky ($3.50) for Simon Zahra. Meech has ridden 72 winners at Donald across her career at a very healthy 18-percent winning strike rate, better than any other track at which she’s had 300-plus rides.
Mudders’ day?
Saturday racing continues in the Wimmera this weekend and it may pay to do your soft/heavy track form for Ararat.