Central Victoria trainers dominated the eight-race card at Echuca on Saturday, winning six of the eight races. 
John and Chris Ledger of Wangaratta led the way with a treble, kicking offin the Hygain Maiden Plate over 1612 metres with Palladium ($3.90), a three-year-old Pierata gelding having his sixth start. 
Palladium had been knocking on the door, having finished fourth at Echuca over 1300 metres on April 16 then second, beaten less than half a length, at Corowa on May 11. 
Sly Cascata ($5) took race four, in 0-56 grade over 1612 metres, for the Benalla stable of Shelley Kirkpatrick. 
That was the first leg of a double at the meeting for apprentice Brittany Button, who went on to take the Two Tarts Catering 0-56 (1312m) 35 minutes later for the Ledgers with Wallaby Jack ($6). 
It was the four-year-old Frosted gelding’s third win from 18 starts and second at Echuca in succession, following a benchmark 58 win over the same course on May 11. 
Seymour’s Lee and Shannon Hope scored a narrow win in the next, a 2112-metre 0-56, with Batoka Chief ($6.50) on a soft 7 track that by then was quite chopped up. 
Batoka Chief raced wide throughout but his stamina got him across the line by the narrowest of margins. 
Batoka Chief is by the noted wet-track sire Sacred Falls while his granddam, Lioness, is by the noted staying sire and Epsom and Irish Derby winner Generous. 
Looking further back in the pedigree, Lioness is a granddaughter of (My) Blue Denim, a three-time Group 1 winner in the Tancred Stakes, AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Auckland Cup as well as runner-up in the 1980 Melbourne Cup. 
If pedigree is any guide, distance and wet tracks will not stop Batoka Chief. 
The Ledger stable went on to complete the treble with Shelly’s Legacy ($7) in the bet365 Same Race Multi 0-56 over 1109 metres in the hands of Lachie King. 
In the final race on the card, the Winter Blues at the Races 24th July 0-56 Handicap (1109m), Andrew Dale of Wangaratta scored with Denseth ($12), again in the hands of Lachie King. 
It was a big day for the Ledgers, who also across won the border at Wagga Riverside, with $2.70 favourite Before The War in the Wagga RSL Club Ladies Day Cup Benchmark 74 over 1200 metres. Blaike McDougall was the rider.