SWAN Hill trainer Helen Burns’ consistent form continued on Saturday with Superior Force winning the bet365 Handicap in Mildura.
Superior Force settled near the rear of the field, but jockey Neil Farley brought the six-year-old forward with a wide run rounding the home turn and he then sprinted to the post to record a narrow, but impressive victory.
Superior Force brought up his second career win for Burns after he was transferred to her care after a short racing campaign with Cranbourne trainer Wendy Kelly.
“I bought him in an online sale and thought he would be worth a try and be better off racing around here,” Burns said.
“I had got to know owners Steve and Kate Stojanovski from Newcastle when they had some horses in a previous sale and they ended up sending me a horse which unfortunately died in the float.
“After I bought him (Superior Force) I was keen to get them involved with him as I felt bad for them with the tragic circumstance of the previous one they sent me.
“He (Superior Force) has been a bit of a handful as he has been scratched at the barriers a couple of times so I had to do a bit of work with him in the barriers here at Swan Hill. He had a good jump-out at Kerang recently, so it was great to get him back winning.”
The Burns stable has12 horses, and she is kept busy as she also works Monday to Friday at the Swan Hill Hospital.
“It makes for a busy time, but I am so grateful for the good people I have behind me in family and friends who help out at the stable,” she said.
“Without them I would not be able to do it.
“I was informed that over our past 50 runners we are going at over 50 per cent of finishing in the top five so I am rapt with that and we are going well at the present time.”
Superior Force recorded a narrow win from O’Whatapicture who was having his first start for the Broken Hill stable of Emily Tremelling. With only a handful of starters so far in her short career she went close to achieving her first race win.
Bendigo trainer Jarrod Robinson has his six-year-old You Betcha Woo racing in career best form as he recorded a copy book victory of his effort here in May by sprinting fast out wide on the track for an impressive win in the Sunraysia Daily Handicap.
Robinson who mixes working as a farrier and training a small team at his Bendigo base had a successful meeting as his other two stable runners also raced well with Lescot finishing third and his first starter Call Me Rhonda running second.
Call Me Rhonda made a top debut as she chased hard and battled on well to be placed at her first start. It should not be long before she records her first win.
The Cranbourne stable of Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans followed on from their success here at the previous meeting to win the Mildura Plumbing Plus Maiden Plate with Western Conqueror.
Western Conqueror was well rated out in front by jockey Linda Meech as the three-year-old raced away in the home straight to bring up his first career win by a big three-length margin.
Western Conqueror started his racing career at Sandown in February when he finished fourth after racing wide, so it had been surprising that it took him a further five starts before he broke his maiden status on Saturday.
Pakenham based six-year-old Red Hawk led throughout for trainer Mick Huglin to win the Mildura & District Real Estate Handicap with jockey Liam Riordan.
Red Hawk made the long journey a profitable one for his owners as he brought up an overdue win, as his previous victory was at Echuca in July last year.
Swan Hill trainer Nathan Hobson filled the quinella in the Mildura Motor Holdings Handicap after Don’t Tell Sheriff enjoyed a good run in transit before proving too strong for his stable mate King And King.
The next Mildura meeting will be on Monday, October 7, and then one of the club’s feature meetings of the year will be held on Melbourne Cup Day of Tuesday, November 5. Bookings for packages can be made via the country.racing.com/mildura website.
