BUNDALAGUAH trainer Sharyn Trolove had a winner on Sale Cup Day.
Starspangled Baby won the Race 6 Turnbull Toyota BM64 Handicap over 1600 metres.
The five-year-old mare was solid over the mile, breaking from third at the 400m mark to win by 1.25 lengths from Moe runners High Drone (trained by Paul and Tracey Templeton) and Not A Problem (Allison Bennett).
The Gippsland trio showed trademark local tenacity, carrying starting prices of $11.00, $26.00 and $61.00 respectively.
Starspangled Baby has been in reasonable form of late, placing in its last start at Pakenham on the synthetic and winning at Moe on September 7.
successful Sale Cup. Pictured is business development manager Katheen Harrap, committee chair Judith Hay, committee members Daniel Miller, Bill Jones, Mark Elliman, chairman David Wilson, Craig McGregor, chief executive Brad Evans and treasurer Brad Sellers.
Photos: Liam Durkin
The mare was freshened for three weeks after its win at Moe.
A local victory provided a highlight for Cup Day, with Trolove a very popular winner among the throng of supporters around the grand stand.
“She has been going great this horse,” Trolove told Racing.com post-race.
“I thought she would be hard to beat today, I thought she was the best chance out of all my horses.”
ANOTHER local saluted, with Moe trainer Peter Gelagotis taking out the Race 4 Coffee Pit/No 1 Car Wash BM64 Handicap (2200m) with Adonis Kick.
The five-year-old gelding put in a clinical run to win by 1.25 lengths after holding third at the 800m and pushing to second with 400m to go.
Young jockey Tianni Chapman was in the saddle, and able to ride home a great win.
Fellow Moe trainer Allison Bennett had Dahwilly back at Sale Turf Club for this race following its win on a Soft 5 on October 5.
Dahwilly kept up its form, coming third this time around.
The win made it back-to-back for Adonis Kick, after he won at Bairnsdale on a Soft 7 a fortnight prior.
“I have to say congratulations to the owners for sticking tough with us, more importantly here Tianni Chapman, for me that was ride of the day. She took her medicine, she stayed calm, she balanced the horse and she took her opportunities and won the race with a very cool ride from a young girl who I think is doing things beyond her years,” Gelagotis said.
“Her last two rides on this horse have been twenty out of 10, kudos to her, this is about Tianni and her love for Adonis Kick and getting his form back.
“It’s great to have this horse back, I go back to a preparation ago where he won on a Heavy 10 at Moe and the turn of foot he showed that day, Craig Newitt rode him and said ‘this horse is going places’, and we never seen it again unfortunately. I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s not actually a wet-tracker believe it or not, even though he did win that day.”
IN other races, Knightjar opened the meeting with a win in the Race 1 Ladbrokes Punter Assist 3YO Maiden Plate (1400m).
Nickelback won the Race 2 Remembering Macca 4YO Maiden Plate (1400m) in a thrilling finish by literally a pimple from Tiz My Bay.
The race was named in honour of late Sale City and Sale Magpies footballer Justin McLay. Friends gathered in the mounting yard post-race for the trophy presentation.
Race 3 saw Skidamarink win the Platinum Plumbing Plus Maiden Plate (1100m) for Anthony and Sam Freedman, while Dusse got up in the Race 5 Ladbroke It! BM64 Handicap (1000m).
Following the main race for the Cup, Prowling won the Race 8 Higgins Machinery & Mechanical Services BM70 Handicap (1400m), before Najem Suhail rounded out the meeting with a win in the Race 9 Ladbrokes Mates Mode BM70 Handicap (1200).
Jockey Jye McNeil completed a riding double, bookending the meeting with a win in the first and last race.
It was a busy weekend of racing in Gippsland, with Moe Racing Club hosting a transferred meeting on Saturday.
Next up on the Gippsland racing calendar is Derby Day at Latrobe Valley Racing Club (Traralgon) this Saturday.
