Kilmore: The Locals Perform On Cup Day
Story By Paul Egan
Wednesday, 20 February 2008:  | | Trainer Lee Hope enjoyed a good cup day |
The New Zealand owned and trained 7-y-o gelding was an all-the-way winner of the 1600-metre race, defeating the Lee Hope-trained local Tears 'N' Triumph by two lengths with Orbit Express a further length and a half away in third spot.
The win gave jockey Vlad Duric his first victory in the Listed event.
In a gentlemanly gesture the likeable hoop apologised to Hope, whom he has done a lot of riding for over the years, for 'spoiling the party'.
Sand Sweeper, by Sandtrap, only arrived from New Zealand four days before the race.
"It was a good effort as he hadn't raced for five weeks," Wheeler's Melbourne foreman said.
The gelding was confidently backed from $17 to $10.
Disappointment of the race was $3.80 favourite Sean Buckley-owned Great Is Great, who finished sixth.
The local club was appreciative of Buckley and the Barree Stud staff who kindly allowed the champion mare Miss Andretti lead the Cup field onto the track.
It proved a real drawcard.
Earlier in the day, local trained horses took out two races.
Leon Corstens produced Centofawoman ($7.50) for a comfortable win in the Tabaret Maiden Plate over the Cup journey.
The 4-y-o daughter of Centaine, having only her fifth start, was beautifully rated by Michelle Payne and defeated the two most fancied runners in Neugine and Super Choi.
"She's very green and a slow maturer, but I feel she has a promising future," Corstens said.
Centofawoman is part-owned by Newmarc Pty Ltd who is managed by the trainer's son Troy.
The second Kilmore trained winner came in race six when Lee Hope produced Delyara who led all the way in taking out the $20,000 Alicia Macpherson Racing Stables Country Showcase 0-68 Handicap over 1100 metres.
Unlike her previous start at Seymour where she missed the kick, the daughter of Belong To Me was shot out of the barriers by leading jockey Craig Williams and was never headed to record a 'gutsy' win.
Delyara ($4.20) has been in the money in each of her five starts, saluting in two.
"It was a good effort as she was racing against older horses. She'll go back to 3-y-o company now," Hope said.
The Hope/Williams combination along with some of the part owners of Delyara greeted the Cup runner-up Tears 'N' Triump back to scale in the following race.
The owners have had some fun with the O'Reilly gelding who has won seven with 12 minor placings collecting over $155,000 along the way.
Hope said if the gelding took no harm from the Cup run, he would enter him in the Pakenham Cup on 2nd March.
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