By David Nagel
Pakenham trainers had a fantastic week on the track with country and metropolitan winners flowing from Kilmore on Thursday right through to Flemington and Moe on Sunday.
Gun trainers Peter Moody and Phillip Stokes filled the winner’s stalls at Caulfield and headquarters on the weekend, while Paul Kramer and Charlotte Littlefield did likewise at Moe – and Shane Stockdale kept the meter ticking over with a winner at Cranbourne on Friday night.
The most exciting prospect to emerge would have to be the Moody-trained Gimmie Par, who scored a hard-fought but impressive win in the opening race on the card at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Not a Single Doubt/Naturale two-year-old filly opened her racing career with a fighting second to James Cummings’ smart colt Ingratiating in the Listed Talindert Stakes at Flemington on February 13.
She was subsequently sent out a $1.55 favourite in a small field at Caulfield and scored by a head on the line from the promising Tom Dabernig-Ben Hayes filly Spinning. Luke Nolen rode a confident race, sitting outside the leaders on the turn before grinding out a solid victory.
Moody will now take Gimmie Par to Queensland and let the horse’s attitude dictate where and when he next runs.
Stokes then gave Pakenham trainers two of the first three winners at Caulfield when his four-year-old gelding Blue Ocean came from well back in the field to score the second win from his 14-start career.
The son of Ocean Park/Quizzical has had his foot on the till since breaking his maiden status at Werribee last year, and with Ben Allen riding a patient race proved too strong on the line for the Richard Laming-trained Excelman.
Blue Ocean has been a frustrating watch for punters in recent times but rewarded those who stayed loyal with a starting price of $10. He has now won on a soft-seven and good-four, so that should give punters plenty of confidence moving forward, no matter the conditions.
Stokes also had winners at Kilmore and Flemington this week.
Lyrical Lad trounced his rivals by six lengths to break out of maiden class at Kilmore, while overseas import Amade scored his first win from just his second start in Australia in race one at Flemington on Sunday.
The seven-year-old gelding is lightly raced and has experience over two miles, so expect him to step out to beyond the 2600-metres of Sunday’s victory.
Shane Stockdale’s No Change broke a long run of outs when he scored in the last race at Cranbourne on Friday night.
The Reward for Effort four-year-old has had some big runs in some rich-money races in the past and proved too strong for his opposition in the $35,000 Benchmark 64 (1300m).
No Change has now won $230,000 for the Durran family from a 32-start career.
And Littlefield and Kramer provided Pakenham trainers with a strong finish at Moe on Sunday when Across The Way and Pindi Pride took out the daily double.
Across The Way is a four-year-old mare with some talent, having her second win from eight starts, while Pindi Pride enjoyed a drop back in class to score in the last of the day as a $3.20 favourite.
Jockey Jason Benbow made his move at the 600-metre mark with Pindi Pride holding on by a neck on the line from the Robbie Griffiths-trained Collectable.
And keep an eye on another from the Stokes’ yard after Way To Go Paula ran a cracking race in the Listed $100,000 HC Nitschke Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday. Way To Go Paula made strong late ground out wide but was picked off by a gun rails ride from Barend Vorster aboard the Maher-Eustace-trained Incredulous Dream.
A lot of Pakenham locals were aboard at the $9.50 but had to settle for second placing.
Racing returns to Pakenham this Thursday, 29 April.
