Despite over a week of wet weather that yielded over 115mm of rain over Skellatar Park Racecourse between Christmas and January 2, Muswellbrook Race Club got away to a great start to 2010 on Monday with a highly successful nine-race program.
Hopes of racing on Monday appeared doomed on Saturday when a late afternoon storm dumped 33mm of rain on an already saturated track and left the course and surrounds awash.
By late afternoon on Sunday the course was declared fit for racing and the day began with a Heavy (8) track rating.
During the afternoon Chief Steward, Shane Cullen, upgraded the track rating three times.
MRC general manager, Paul Greentree, said the turnaround of the track’s condition in recent months was due to the efforts of racecourse manager, Adam Ayre, and also the completion of the updated track watering system.
Newcastle trainer Paul Perry, a long-time supporter of local racing, won the first race, the 2-Year-Old Maiden Plate (900m) with the $3.40 favourite, Calendar Lass, ridden by apprentice Tommy Berry.
Todd Howlett’s Amalfilad was second ahead of Mack Griffith’s Pesci. Calendar Lass was having her first race start, and it also gave Stratum, his first winner as a sire. Calendar Lass is raced by the well known Wallace and Perry families, who also raced Stratum.
Leading Newcastle racing identities, trainer Kris Lees and jockey Allan Robinson, paired up to win the 1450m Maiden Handicap with $2.60 favourite More Charm, which beat stablemate Doctor Sinn (Andrew Gibbons) by a length and three quarters. Jeff Englebrecht’s Gargle, was third.
More Charm, a three-year-old filly by More Than Ready, is owned by Ross and Joan Green, of Merriwa.
Scone trainer Greg Bennett, continued his run of success in recent weeks in winning the 1280 metres Maiden Plate with Casino Gal (Pat Ferris), owned by Widden Stud.
Bennett had a winner (Sugar Oog) at Gilgandra the previous day, and his promising mare Nikkirini, finished second in the Gilgandra Cup.
Race favourite Adamantic ($3.50), ridden by Scott Thurlow, was untroubled to win the Benchmark 59 Handicap (1750m) for Wyong trainer Mark Howard. The 6-year-old mare is raced by Wyong resident Tom Pidgeon, and Tim Perram, of Muswellbrook.
Tim’s family has a long link with MRC, his grandfather, the late Harry Perram was a committee member of the club.
Gosford trainer Grant Allard made the trip to Muswellbrook worthwhile when his only two runner at the meeting, Shrewd Emily (Reece Plumbing Maiden Plate 1280m) and Jomidale (Benchmark 55 Handicap 1280m) won successive races.
Shrewd Emily, the favourite, was ridden by apprentice Timothy Bell. Allard’s apprentice, Jake Hull, recorded his second win from 12 rides in winning on Jomidale.
After saddling up two placegetters earlier in this program, Scone trainer Rod Northam, had to wait until the last race before visiting the winner’s circle when Shrewd As, ridden by Scott Thurlow, won the Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1280 metres.
MRC’s next meeting is the annual Coolmore Jerry’s Plains Cup day on Friday, January 22.
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