IT WAS touch and go after more than 10mm of rain fell overnight and threatened to return during the day at the first Woolamai Picnic race meeting of the year last Saturday.
The track was rated a Heavy 8 at 7.30am, downgraded to a Heavy 9 after the first race and then a Heavy 10 after race two as the jockeys were wavering in their commitment.
But the sun came out to start proceedings, and with only a brief shower in the middle of the afternoon, the day continued without mishap, leaving connections, punters, revellers and race day organisers delighted with a successful start to the Bass Coast-South Gippsland racing season.
Race caller Ben Sporle summed up the jockeys’ trepidation in the first when he declared Stewart the winner, by 2.5 lengths, in record slow time over the 1008 metres.
However, while the first three races were over the sprint distance of 1008m, race 4 over 2000 metres, was a supreme test of endurance.
“These horses will sleep well tonight,” declared Sporle in the running.
“The main interest now will be the winning margin,” he said as Rule Of Salex approached the line, a full 12 lengths ahead of the field.
Valorous Star was an impressive winner in the second with Ben Moffat in the saddle, settling in the lead and then stealing a march on the opposition to win by seven lengths.
“It’s genuinely heavy out there, alright if you’re out in front, but there’s one section that’s a real bog. It’s safe enough but some of the jockeys want to go out and take a look,” he said afterwards.
There was an inspection which delayed the start of the third, but the course was declared safe, and the day’s program was ultimately completed.
It was a delighted Jasmine Trenwith who finished strongly in the third to catch an impressive Rivers Reward in sight of the post.
“He hasn’t had a run since April so we thought he might need more time, but he came out like a rocket today and loved the heavy going. Really pleased, yeah,” said Jaz Trenwith after the win.
Leigh Taylor saluted on Rule Of Salex in the fourth and held off Summerhill to claim a double in the last on Lord Chapel while Ben Moffat also completed a good day for him on Morisu Dori in exciting style in the fifth.
Two of the day’s races, were sponsored as memorial events, Race 2 for the late Rodney Hee, with his wife speaking afterwards about how he loved life, his family and friends, and a punt and a drink at the races.
Race 3 was named after Marina Chen, whose family connections from Coronet Bay said their mum was the life of the party and would have loved a dat out with friends at the races if she hadn’t passed.
Veteran former trainer, Woolamai and District life member, former president and racing legend Cefn Price was also at the meeting, celebrating his 80th year at the Woolamai Races.
Famously one of his horses, Island Beau, won 10 races at Woolamai as well as nine professional races, and another of his charges, Island Pride, won the cup, one of several over the years for Price at Woolamai.
“It was always a thrill,” said Cefn, who trained his first winner at the track in 1957, taking an interest with his late father Tom who was involved in the early days of racing on Phillip Island.
“Picnic race clubs were only allowed two meetings a year but after Woolamai amalgamated with the Phillip Island Racing Club and the Wonthaggi Racing Club, they had four meetings and later six,” he said.
But it was another typically fun day at Woolamai, with a sprinkling of hens and bucks’ parties, most of the marquees filled with family, friends and work groups and even some dancing out on the front lawn to the tunes by Phillip Island singer songwriter Imogen Price.
It made for a great start to the local racing season with the next Woolamai Picnic meeting, the Bendigo Bank Christmas Race Day, on Saturday, December 20 and Stony Creek starting its season next Sunday, December 7.
