Honours in race feast

By David Nagel
THE Cranbourne Racing Club hosted two race meetings in three days last week and it was the local trainers who jumped out the blocks quickest claiming the early spoils.
Friday’s eight-race twilight meeting was followed by a seven-race program on Sunday but it was the start of the earlier meeting where the locals came to the fore.
Ray Matthews kicked things off when his appropriately named four-year-old chestnut mare, Friday Frenzy, won the first race on the program, the $12,000 TAB Sportsbet Maiden Plate (1000m).
Despite racing wide for most of the trip, the son of Dubai Destination was driven to the post by jockey Ruth Bradley to score by a short half head from Michael Kent’s first starter, Flea.
The win came at Friday Frenzy’s seventh race start.
Matthews handed over the baton to Wendy Kelly for the second race of the afternoon and she didn’t disappoint when her three-year-old filly, Shipin, won the $12,000 Highview Accounting Services Fillies and Mares Maiden Plate (1200m).
Jockey Daniel Moor had the daughter of Pins on pace throughout and fought off the Robbie Griffiths trained Profit Margin by a length on the line. Kelly was feeling cautious heading into the race after the filly had pulled up sore at her previous start at Moe over 1000m on December 16.
“She jarred up at Moe and pulled up quite sore so when the track was rated a good three I was a bit unsure,” Kelly said.
“Initially that run at Moe was a bit disappointing but in hindsight it wasn’t too bad.
“She’s got good natural gate speed but they go really hard over the 1000m so the 1200m was good because they ease up a bit at the start.”
Friday’s win was only Shipin’s third race start so Kelly is still learning about the filly’s racing patterns and idiosyncrasies. The horse has so far pulled up well from the run and all going well will head to Pakenham for a Fillies and Mares 0-62 over 1300m on Friday 10 February.
Pat Hyland capped off a dream start for the locals when his exciting three-year-old colt, Shanghai Warrior, won race three, the $12,000 Cranbourne Holden SV 3YO Maiden Plate (1300m).
The son of Elvstroem was having his second race start after running second to Mick Price’s excitement machine Halle Rocks at Sale back in September. Halle Rocks franked that form by winning her next and only start since, by three and a half lengths at Caulfield three weeks later.
Considering that form-line Shanghai Warrior was sent out at the luxurious odds of $3.20 on Friday and beat the Mark Kavanagh trained Shadow Ninja by a length and a half. It was the first leg of a winning double for jockey Steven Arnold.
Hyland’s expectations were high heading into the race.
“Very confident, he might have been beaten by a champion at Sale,” Hyland said. “I’ve got a pretty good opinion of this horse but he’s still got along way to go.
“We’ll just take him as he goes.”
All going well Hyland plans to run Shanghai Warrior in a three-year-old race at Sandown on Wednesday 8 February.