PETER MORGANTI – RACING
THE Casterton Racing Club signed off on another successful season with a seven-race meeting on Sunday.
It proved to be a tough day for punters with only one favourite winning but from a pure spectacle and management perspective the club continued to make race day comfortable for both participants and spectators.
Infrastructure improvements with new fencing and mounting yard previously were enhanced with a new caller’s box and betting area among other this year.
President Mark Davis was again pleased and proud of what has been achieved this year.
“We have a fantastic group of volunteers and that reflects on what we have been able to do with our track and surrounds,” he said.
“I am very happy; we have had another successful season.”
Despite plenty of rain during the lead-up to Sunday, track curator Gary Norris was able to present another fantastic race surface, the meeting presented with a Slow 7 track.
Father and daughter combination, Wayne and Kate Walters, were the highlight acts on the track with a double.
Noubentekh in the AG Warehouse Heywood Maiden Plate and Kelly Ann in the Helloworld Maiden Plate both started big odds to give the Mount Gambier based stable a double of more than 300/1.
Aaron Purcell on the back of winning the Country Cup’s Horse of the Year with Dashing, also landed a double.
Buzzaroon was a strong all the way winner of the bet365 New Racing Apt 0-58 Handicap winning by three lengths with Tom Madden riding.
Making his intentions known early, Madden crossed to lead before staving off all challengers’ mid-race, then kicking strongly for home.
Linda Meech continued her great form to notch the second leg of Purcell’s double, albeit narrowly on Franchine in the Heywood Home Timber and Hardware 0-58 Handicap.
Rolling to the front mid-race Meech then had to get every ounce out of the eight-year-old mare to hold out of topweight Derelict.
Warrnambool trainers, Daniel Bowman and Peter Chow had respective winners with Look At Mego and Royal Inference, while the other win went to Horsham trainer, Stephen Lenehan, with The Mariner.
