And for Darren Stumpo the win was as good as it gets.
He only has one horse in work and her performance in the $23000 CA Sinclair Pork Wholesalers maiden over 1406m was better than he had hoped.
Stumpo’s Falie took up the running as soon as the field jumped, making the most of her barrier one draw.
While the field jockeyed for position on the turn home — including highly fancied $1.50 favourite Monarch Court, which had never really got into the race — Stan Tsaikos on Falie turned on the afterburners and was pulling away all the way down the straight, eventually cantering over the line about six lengths clear.
‘‘I expected her to go well — but not that well,’’ Stumpo said.
‘‘But she has trained on since her last start and she can be a tricky horse.
‘‘She’s been working well so it was all good; in too many runs she has been getting too far back, so we wanted her to be up front this time and pinch a bit of a break if she could.’’
Tsaikos, who rode the mare first-up at Wodonga this preparation, said she had been ‘‘a bit stiff there’’.
‘‘But today the trip up in distance really suited her and we drew pole, and it’s always pretty evident she begins well, so we were able to get into a good rhythm out in front and she really extended well,’’ Tsaikos said.
‘‘Early she wanted to run a bit, but I was able to get her back under me and settled, but I always knew there was a $1.50 pop there somewhere, so I just went out and rated her nicely and she’s a credit to Darren for producing her today in good style.’’
In the $22000 JAR plumbing Handicap over 1106m, bolter Elzinga, sent out at 21-1, found a fifth leg 200m from the line and swamped red-hot favourite Rarer Than Rubies and top-weight Funding.
Unseen by the course commentator until his run started, Elzinga, with Craig Robertson aboard, flew to the line for his first win since July last year and the third in 26 starts.
This was Elzinga’s first run this prep after being sent to the paddock in October last year.
Trainer Wayne Nichols said the horse ran well at his previous first up, with a second at Bendigo when held up.
‘‘And this time, well he’s such a lovely old horse and he’s had a few issues over the years, but he tries hard and is really easy to do anything with around the stables, so it was pleasing for him and his owners to see him win today,’’ Nichols said.
‘‘He broke his maiden over a mile and then comes out here today and wins an 1106m event. It’s great when a stable favourite like him gets a win.’’
Robertson said the horse was always good fresh and last time was great, but Nichols had the gelding prepared to perfection.
In the $22000 TAC Be Races Ready over 1406m, the lucky last on the card with just six starters after four scratchings gutted the field — Typhoon Rubi and Vladivostok were so intent on each other they were running their own race out front.
On the turn, Valdivostok was put under real pressure, while the heavily-backed Typhoon Rubi ($2.90) was giving it his all.
Although there were several chasers — including the aptly named Millie The Missile, who was flying — Stackhouse had timed everything to perfection.
The win was a bonus for the jockey — he only picked up the ride after Linda Meech broke her collarbone at Geelong the day before and it gave him a winning double.
Trainer Russell Osborne said they had not been sure how Typhoon Rubi would go over the 1400m, but felt if they could get her to settle she would run well.
‘‘I thought we might have been in for more bad luck after getting the call last night about Linda and her accident,’’ Osborne said.
A happy Stackhouse said Meech’s fall was unfortunate, but this horse did a great job after beginning nicely.
‘‘At one point I was trying to hold her back as she is quite headstrong and I didn’t want to stay where we were outside the leading horse.
‘‘But she ran on strongly despite that and finished well.’’
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