A day for local winners

DARREN Weir celebrated another winner on his home track on Monday.

The Berriwillock product’s four-year-old mare Wilaudie claimed victory in the 1304m Race 2, with Dean Yendall aboard the $8 roughie.

Weir also welcomed home the fourth runner, with Brad Rawiller steering the four-year-old gelding Magnakali.

The main event of the day, heat nine of the Murray Mallee Winter Stayers’ Series, was Race 4 on the card.

Patrick Payne’s Rebel Force won the day, with Brad Rawiller aboard.

The five-year-old gelding finished first in a seven-horse field with Jimmy’s Better and Lonhreign making up the placings for Andrew Payne and Frank Conlan.

Con Kelly’s Curragh King — part owned by locals Ian Ray, Tony McDonald, John Croft, Peter Maher and Frank O’Brien — finished ninth in the 1204m Murray Mallee Winter Sprint Series, which was Race 6 on the card.

The five-year-old gelding, ridden by apprentice jockey Chris Caserta, was a $17 outsider.

Visiting trainers took out the remainder of the events.

David Hayes and Tom Dabernig were celebrating shortly after 1pm, when The Spitfire — ridden by Craig Robertson — was first past the post in the day’s opening race.

Jamie Scott and Gwenda Johnstone trained the winners in the third and fifth respectively.

Johnstone made it a double with the winner in the sprint series heat, while Marita Lawson and Vincent Malady claimed the prizes in Race 7 and 8 respectively.