THEY came, they saw, they kicked arse.
Seven races at Mildura on Sunday, and the first five went to Swan Hill trainers and/or jockeys – setting the scene for a big Swan Hill Cup carnival next month.
And the Swan Hill blitz struck from the first jump.
Heath Chalmers won the $27,000 Mildura Motor Holdings Maiden Plate over 1112m with his very promising Lonely One (pipping Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey in second on Damas).
Chalmers said he had had Lonely One since she started and the three-year-old filly now had a win and three seconds from five career runs.
“Her previous outing at Echuca was one to forget,” he said.
“She just didn’t get a good run there so with apprentice Rose Hammond aboard, taking 2kg off her back, she showed her true potential.
“The plan was to be on the pace and Rosie did a great job leading from start to finish.
“If someone had gone crazy and tried to go hard early we were going to drop in behind, but she judged the race well and it paid off.”
Spelled after the first two runs, Chalmers said he was keen to go around again after three runs this prep but that would be a decision he reached with the owner.
He said he saw Lonely One as a good chance in a Saturday race at next month’s carnival but no decisions would be made until they saw how the horse pulled up.
Nathan Hobson – in partnership with Kerang rider Logan McNeil – was next cab off the rank with Jackie Moon.
The $27,000 MMH Sales Service & Parts Maiden Plate over 1412m also became a Swan Hill trifecta when Austy Coffey’s Final Quarter placed second with Harry Coffey on red-hot favourite Oh So Thrilling finishing third.
Hobson is also now targetting a Saturday carnival race with his latest winner.
“He ran well in his last start at Echuca and is a promising horse still learning his craft,” Hobson said.
“It was a good win and Logan did a good job – he only does a little bit for me – and it was also something of a bonus for us as we thought Crazy Sheriff in the last would be our best shot for the day.
“But he pulled up with a bit of an issue so that will be something we have to monitor moving forward.”
Harry Coffey took out the third on Patrick Payne’s Black Peppermint and in the fourth was back at the starting gate on father Austy’s Bannerton.
The veteran six-year-old gelding, a 51-start veteran, rattled home late in the race to pick up his fifth career win – and his first in 596 days after winning the Manangatang Cup on October 8 way back in 2022.
Finally, it was time for Helen Burns to shine.
And like Nathan Hobson before her, she got a bit of a surprise when The Last Judgement knocked over Hobson’s Alesha Lily in the $27,000 Mildura Mitsubishi All New Triton Dual Cab Handicap over 1012m.
She had pinned her hopes on Superior Force in the next race, but while not disgraced, it did not have a great day out, finishing seventh.
Sanctimonious in the last also gave it a good shot, but the eight-year-old gelding was pipped on the line, finishing third but barely half a length adrift.
“The Last Judgement was a surprise win, but a good one – all wins are,” Burns said.
“I certainly didn’t think he was my very best shot for the day, but I now have him set for a Saturday start at the carnival, today’s win should only push him up about four points.
“If all the ones I have set for the carnival get a start, I expect to have 10 racing across the three days.”
