GRAEME McQueen and Gus Philpot have flown the flag for local trainers at Bendigo Jockey Club’s annual Christmas party race day on Sunday.
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McQueen was the first Bendigo trainer to land a winner on the eight-race card with veteran galloper Dornale before Philpot followed up three races later with promising sprinter She’s Beneficial.
Dornale, a nine-year-old gelding claimed his sixth career win in 54 starts with a stunning from last to first victory over 2200m in a benchmark 58 handicap.
The veteran stayer was the beneficiary of a well-executed ride from in-form jockey Jordan Childs, who claimed the honours on the day with a double.
“The instruction was to go back and ride a patient race and try to have the last crack at them,” Childs told broadcaster Racing.com.
“I had to be patient, coming around the corner, but he hit the line really well.”
The double capped a big few days for the 21-year-old, who rode two winners at Warrnambool during the week and followed up with a winner at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
“Obviously I have been working hard, going everywhere to the races and getting results. Things are going great,” Childs said.
There was plenty of emotion surrounding She’s Beneficial win in the benchmark 64 handicap over 1300m.
The mare last month provided trainer Philpot with his first winner since the tragic death of his wife Donna in a racecourse accident in June, with her follow up win the trainer’s first on his home track since her passing.
Bendigo jockey John Keating said it was an emotional time for all involved with the stable.
“Last time (at Ballarat) he was the first winner for Gus since Donna’s passing, which was quite emotional in itself,” he said.
“But the win on Donna’s home track, where she spent the last three years of her life, for this girl to come out and win today was very special.
Keating said She’s Beneficial had been slow out of the gates, but had responded quickly to challenge the leaders early in the race.
“She got across and found a position as we planned and she came back underneath me and from about the 100 (metres) she settles back into her mode and from there had the race in her taking,” he said.
The win was the mare’s third in 11 starts and second from three starts this campaign, both with Keating in the saddle.
Elsewhere, Darren Weir claimed the training honours with a treble, including the debut victory of impressive three-year-old filly Lucky Cat over 1100m.
The trio of wins capped a successful day for the state’s leading trainer, who also notched a double at Sunday’s meeting at Horsham.
It followed a pair of metropolitan wins at Caulfield and Morphettville on Saturday for the 2015 Melbourne Cup winning trainer.
The father-son combination of Swan Hill trainer Austy and jockey Harry Coffey also landed a winner with promising middle-distance galloper Burrum’s Buzz.
It was the consistent five-year-old gelding’s fourth win in 14 starts.
Harry Coffey said despite a fair bit of racing, the gelding was still relatively green, but predicted there would be more wins in store.