Eamonn’s Memory completes district sweep

He was ridden on Saturday by John Kissick and formed part of a Cup quinella for trainer Andrew Dale, with his 12-1 relative outsider San Marco in second place.

Maid In Dubai made it a Wangaratta-trained trifecta, finishing third after being sent out a $2.40 favourite on the back of strong recent form, including a third in the Cootamundra Cup two starts previous.

But the mare was no match for the Dale duo, with 4-1 chance Eamonn’s Memory recording his 14th win from 79 starts and reinforcing part-owner Adrian Grantham’s view that “he’s a great country horse”.

In the first race, a 1100m Maiden, the Seymour trained four-year-old mare Bron showed a form reversal to score narrowly from Tristania, which also produced a much improved run first up, after two disappointing performances in her previous preparation.

Bron, by Omaha Beach, was ridden by Cassidy Hill and is trained by Charmaine Barnes.

Race two was a Benchmark 50 Handicap, also over 1100m, and had punters off to a challenging start when the rank outsider of the field, Nineveh, scored a narrow win from $3.20 second favourite Turnaquid.

Nineveh enjoyed the drop in class after being easily beaten in a BM 56 at Echuca on October 20. It was the No Nay Never mare’s second victory.

She is trained at Benalla by Grant White and was ridden by Tayla Childs.

The consistent runner-up, trained by Andrew Dale and ridden by John Kissick, added another second placing to her resume after also being second at Deniliquin last month. She won a Benchmark 45 at Jerilderie in September.

Punters had a change of fortune in race three, a Class 2 Handicap over 1200m, when the Gwenda Johnstone trained Got Out The Fence had a convincing four-length win over Fairness Is Best, with The Cuban in third place.

The winner appreciated a much better barrier draw, after finishing fourth at the recent Deniliquin meeting from barrier 11. He was ridden by Hayley Spitse.

Punters were again on the ball in the fourth race, a 1400m Benchmark 50, with the Craig Weeding trained Controversial Miss scoring by 1¼ lengths from Jingu Express, with Don’t Tell Sheriff in third place. The winner was ridden gave apprentice Cassidy Hill a double.

Controversial Miss put the writing on the wall when she overcame a wide barrier and finished well into third place at the Deniliquin meeting, and although not perfectly drawn on Saturday was able to get a good run from barrier seven.

Race five was the aforementioned Berrigan Gold Cup.

The final event on the program was a 1600m Maiden Handicap, taken out by topweight Hula Dance at 7-1, scoring narrowly from $2.50 equal favourite Springer Time, with the other equal favourite, Sierra Sun, in third place.

Hula Dance, a gelding by So You Think, had previously raced seven times without getting into the placings.

The gelding is trained at Bendigo by Stacey Kirkpatrick and was ridden by Nick Heywood.

Riding honours on the day undoubtedly went to Cassidy Hill with her first winning double. It was the second regional milestone in the space of two weeks for the young apprentice, who rode her first winner a fortnight previous at Deniliquin.

She also rode a third placegetter on Saturday.

The most successful trainers were Andrew Dale, who won the Gold Cup and also had four placegetters, and Craig Weeding with a win and three placegetters.