RACING returned to Buchanan Park only nine days after its busy Mailman Races held in the lead-up to rodeo.
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The five races held on Saturday were a quiet affair in comparison to the previous week’s event but still attracted punters to the race club.
It was a good day for jockey Dan Ballard, who won the first, third and last races.
The first race was the 1200 metre Benchmark 50 Handicap. Ballard rode Mosport, for trainer Bob Burow, and won with a lead of 1.5 lengths.
It was no surprise for the bookies. Mosport’s odd had begun at the favourable $2.80.
The second placer was Tuning, ridden by Tim Brummell. Their odds were further back at $8.
In third place was Show Us The Way and Tamara Tincknell. They were four lengths behind the leader but according to the starting odds were mostly likely to challenge Mosport. They started at $3.30.
In the second race the Tanya Parry trained Irish Wine was able to secure the first win of his career. The five-year-old gelding was ridden by Terrence Hill in the 1000 metre maiden plate.
Once again the result was no surprise for the bookies, who had started the odds off on $2. Irish Wine led by 1.5 lengths ahead of the next racehorse, Sciolta.
Ballard won his next race with Damgoodchoice convincingly, with a 6.8 length lead ahead of second placer Crack A Coldie.
The 1000 metre Class 3 plate had five horses on the field. Bookies once again were accurate in their prediction and had started Damgoodchoice at $1.90 to the dollar.
Crack A Coldie was ridden by Keith Ballard and had started out at $3. In third place was Bugsy Malone and Tim Brummell with a gap of 9.6 lengths behind the leader.
The only upset to the bookies in the local races was in the 1450 metre 0-55 Handicap.
They had predicted favourable odds on Frisco Journey, trained by Kerry Krogh, with a starting price of $2.40.
Frisco Journey and jockey Tim Brummell were in fourth place and 5.5 lengths behind the winner, which was Diurnal Tiger and Terrence Hill. They had begun at more humble odds of $4.60.
In second place was Hotel Splendido, who was ridden by K. Ballard. They were four lengths behind the leader.
The final race winner was a favourite.
Chasing The Dragon was ridden by D. Ballard and they won the 1450 metre open handicap with a respectable margin of 8.5 lengths.
The seven-year-old gelding from the Ballards stable started out with odds of $1.50. Wulfwin, also from the Ballards, came second and was ridden by K. Ballard. They began with odds of $2.50.
