SWAN Hill dominated its own cup carnival in a way it has not done for years.
Four trainers had winners and jockeys Harry Coffey and Madison Lloyd not only landed multiple wins, they were named senior and apprentice riders of the carnival.
Coffey finished with four wins and several placings, while Lloyd had back-to-back wins – first for local trainer Con Kelly and in the next race for Nathan Hobson in the $150,000 Pooles Golden Topaz.
Heath Chalmers won the first race of the three days with his rookie runner Runpukya, who has taken just two starts to break her maiden, and then Jane Duncan chimed in with The Stock Route to win the $27,000 Quambatook Cup (1600m).
It was a huge home carnival, right up to Sunday’s record 5000-plus crowd, who were on the edges of their seats.
But if Nathan Hobson’s first $150,000 Pooles Golden Topaz was the local highlight, surely Duncan and Coffey combining to get The Stock Route over the line in first place must go down as the upset of the carnival.
One of the rank outsiders at 26/1 in the $27,000 North West Ag Quambatook Cup (1600m), The Stock Route was given the run of the race by Coffey.
But in the straight challengers came from everywhere, shuffling Coffey back in the field, until he steered The Stock Route to the centre of the track and let him rip.
The four-year-old gelding slowly responded and with 200m to go suddenly found another leg, sweeping past the heavily backed Wardy Boy to snatch the win.
Loyal supporters were paid a whopping $27.10.
Coffey was back in the headlines on Sunday with a go-to-whoa success on heavily backed Bywaters Road in the $40,000 Swan Hill Drought Breaker Plate over 1600m.
He ran away with the sought-after maiden event so easily he spent half the straight looking over both shoulders wondering where the rest of the field had gone.
The win was Coffey’s fourth for the carnival after he landed Rose Ring on Friday, the Quambatook Cup, and the $27,000 Jarrod Arentz Electrical Plate (975m) with debutant Silvagni.
Coffey said that on Bywaters Road “we didn’t have much choice” but to lead.
“He jumped really cleanly and rolled across, and (trainer John Hickmott) said the horse has speed and, having drawn barrier 18, don’t complicate it.
“He said for me to go with him if he jumps well, otherwise he would leave it up to me, but John was spot on.
“It’s good to get a win for Johnny, he’s always thrown me a bone when he could, and I remember as a kid I absolutely slaughtered one for him in a Murray Bridge Cup so I repaid him today with the Drought Breaker.”
On Friday Chalmers’ three-year-old gelding Runpukya broke his maiden in style at just his second start, scooting away to win the $40,000 bet365 Odds Drift Protector Plate, the first race of the carnival.
The horse, bred and trained by Chalmers, had its first start at 30/1 in Bendigo in February, finishing sixth out of 12 in an unlucky run.
But since then he must have showed something because he was sent out the $3.20 favourite.
Chalmers described him as “a nice little horse we have had from day dot”.
“We have got a good bunch of owners in Runpukya, including plenty of Swan Hill people,” Chalmers said.
“His first start had been a bit unlucky, when we thought he would go pretty well, but he’s still a little bit green and got a little bit to learn – and he’s a bit of hard work at home – but hopefully he can put it all together.
“He’s done a fair bit of work at home, especially flat work, and we have given him a few trials and he’s cottoned on to it a bit.”
Chalmers said Swan Hill Jockey Club track manager Mitch Makepeace had “done a great job with the surface and we got to have first go at it”.
Lloyd’s Con Kelly victory with Spanish Snitzel on Friday was emotionally draining.
Spanish Snitzel had to hang on for grim death to take out the $50,000 In Memory of Dr Carroll Major Handicap over 1600m.
The five-year-old gelding was ridden a treat by Lloyd, who took him to a short lead at the top of the long straight and then gave it everything she had to fend off the challengers.
The win wook the horse’s career earnings close to $250,000 from six wins in 41 starts.
Kelly said Spanish Snitzel had “never been a good Swan Hill horse”.
“So it was great to see him stamp himself here today.
“But for (Kelly’s close friends) Owen Connick and his late wife Carolyn, who passed away in March, it is a good win.
“I’m just very happy with him as he has had his problems this prep and he’s starting to do what we know he can.”
