By David Nagel
LOCAL trainers split an eight-race card with visitors at Cranbourne Racecourse on Friday as the twilight meeting gave further impetus to the build-up to night racing on Friday 9 March.
Dale Short started the fun for locals when his four-year-old gelding Handsome Hero scored a half-length win in the $12,000 De Bortoli Wines Maiden Handicap (2025m), race four on the program.
In a familiar trend for the local winners Handsome Hero drifted in pre-race markets before giving jockey Craig Newitt the middle leg of a winning treble.
Stephen Theodore then combined with jockey Brent Evans and four-year-old chestnut mare Bella’s Cry to win race six, the $22,500 Highview Accounting Services Country Showcase (1000m).
Bella’s Cry has progressed nicely through the ranks this preparation with Friday’s win her third from her last four starts, with the highlight being a seven-length romp at Wangaratta on 13 December.
The mare jumped straight to the front from the inside gate before leading all the way to win by nearly a length from Hadronica and Gold Rust. Another drifter, Bella’s Cry opened a short priced $2.20 favourite but started at $3.80 and took home her fourth win from 23 starts.
Jockey Wayne Davis stacked the field rounding for home aboard the Doug Harrison trained Tycoon Rob before kicking clear in the shadows of the post to win race seven.
A despised outsider, the four-year-old gelding by Undoubtedly ran his rivals ragged in the $12,000 Chandler Macleod Handicap (1400m), scoring by a length on the line.
Tycoon Rob put the writing on the wall with a second to the talented Flyingconi at Sale three runs back but followed that with two disappointing runs. He rediscovered his best form to beat Robbers Roost and Lucky Cent to record his third win from 21 starts.
Dean Howard made it three in a row for the locals when his three-year-old gelding It’s Black Magic scored in the last, the $22,500 Monacellars Country Showcase Handicap (1600m).
Jockey Peter Mertens rated the race perfectly from the front and the son of Manner Hill scored impressively by nearly two lengths from Strato Mostro and Tricky Maid. The mile win gave It’s Black Magic his second success in 10 career starts.
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