WHILE the cleanup continued around the Mid North Coast after the floods, local conditioners rallied with many runners at Manning Valley Race Club’s (MVRC) dual cup featured meet last week, remarkably only two weeks after the Taree racecourse had been submerged.
“If you said to me two weeks ago we would be racing, I’d have said that you are silly,” said Damien Toose, the Club’s chief executive officer.
“We stood here on the Thursday and Friday when the floods started receding, and we thought six to eight weeks (until racing resumed), but we were blessed the way the water went away.
“The effects, from what we have been told, made the ground impenetrable by any more rain, as we had rain since which normally may have rendered us not being able to race.”
Mr Toose said that the damage to the track – in relation to the floods, the rails, machinery, and infrastructure – was minimal, stating “we were blessed, and were very lucky”.
Muswellbrook conditioner Cassandra Stummer had a worthwhile trip across the ranges and took the Wingham Services Club Wingham Cup with six-year-old Rebel’s Edge, the seventh win for the Rebel Dane gelding.
Taree trainer Lyndall Olson was all smiles when Zaru took the Bakewell Haulage Corey Brown Cup, with the Bowness Stud, Young-bred Rubick gelding making it three wins from its last four starts.
Local trainers Tony Ball and Glen Milligan – both being badly affected by the floods – also had winners.
Cable Bay gelding Telegraph took the 1000 metres Benchmark 66, which is raced by the Ball family together with local loyal stable supporter Jeff Haisell.
“We’ve had a great day,” Ball said.
“We have had several placings plus a winner, so all good, and we moved back into our house last night.”
Milligan’s winner was Caravaggio five-year-old Golden Honour.
“I must be a good trainer, as I have been looking after him (Golden Honour) for two weeks,” Ball said with a laugh.
Another local, Paul Kelly was also smiling after he trained Shalamiyna to win her maiden race.
By Irish-bred and imported sire Shalaa, the three-year-old filly is raced by Shane Madden and Keven Bakewell from Wingham, together with former retired and legendary local conditioner Ross Stitt.
It was Shalamiyna’s first start back since a two-year-old.
“Because she stood in the barriers at the start she had to have three barrier trials, but the addition of a nose-roll made the difference,” Stitt said.
It certainly did work, Shalamiyna winning her maiden race by almost three lengths.
Stitt said that he bought the filly sight-unseen, via Harry Bailey at Inglis (in Sydney, for $8000 at the HTBA Yearling Sale).
“I have bought horses from Inglis for 58 years straight,” Stitt said.
Mr Toose was impressed with the improving track after viewing the time for the first race of the day.
“The first race today was a 1000 metres maiden and was run in 59.11s with the last six (hundred metres) in 35.15s and for a heavy nine track that was quite good.”
By Virginia HARVEY
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