By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE Turf Club hosted its Licensees’ race day last Thursday on a heavy track with the rail in the true position.
A strong 10-race program was raced on the day, which was a credit to the club and racecourse manager Robert McNab, given that so many country meetings had been cancelled or postponed due to track conditions in recent weeks.
The day was highlighted by three locally trained winners and a double to promising apprentice rider William Hernan, both achieved on emergency runners included in their fields as a result of scratchings.
The meeting kicked off early at 11.05am due to the extended program, and Cranbourne was on the board immediately with Matthew Gatt steering Barry Barnes’ three-year-old maiden Diminuendo to the line in a solid performance.
The next locally prepared success was in race four, when Clyde trainer Peter Brazil saddled victor Perugin Thought ridden by Rowan Waymouth, who has recently been splitting his race riding time between flat and jumps riding.
The final Cranbourne success came late in the program when popular local mentor Colin Davies watched as Hernan booted his $8.20 chance Bee Three to the winning post in the second-last race of the afternoon, the $20,000 Country Showcase event over 1400 metres.
A race earlier, Hernan scored the first leg of his winning double on Sale trainer Ian Hutchins’ gelding Paraja.
The club’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 16 August.
