Left: Jockey Lincoln Coffey urges Cranbourne track specialist Signal Swish to the line for local trainer Geoff Cousins in the seventh race last Thursday.By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE track specialist Signal Swish made it win number five at his home track, with a dominant victory in the seventh race on Thursday’s program.
The six-year-old gelding, trained by local mentor Geoff Cousins, was ridden patiently by jockey Lincoln Coffey before kicking away to win the race by two-and-a-quarter lengths from favourite Relentlessly.
Cousins was thrilled with the victory, which made it five wins and seven placings for the horse from 24 starts at the track.
Signal Swish has not won at any other venue and punters recognised his liking for Cranbourne by backing him into $4.40 second favourite.
“He’s certainly a home town favourite,” Cousins said. “We’re right next door to the track and on race day he knows it and you can see the confidence in him as we walk to stalls.
“He’s always ready to race at Cranbourne and when they don’t program a suitable race for him I always have a crack at (Cranbourne Turf Club chairman) Robin Daley,” the trainer chuckled.
Cousins has been breeding and training racehorses at Cranbourne as a hobby for about 30 years and only has Signal Swish and a couple of young horses in work at present.
He said Signal Swish, which has been placed at Sandown, had a good turn of foot but did not enjoy road trips and saved his best form for his home track.
“He doesn’t travel well and we’ve tried a lot of different ways,” Cousins said.
“We’ve tried a companion pony and other horses and also keeping him alone, but it hasn’t worked that well.
“We recognised that very early on, but he just loves Cranbourne.”
In another highlight of the meeting, Warragul builder Ken Morrison and wife Trudi made an unexpected trip to the presentation area after Glorious Dane’s win in the Thoroughbred Club Country Showcase Handicap.
They did not expect their handy mare, trained at Sale by Cliff Murray, to salute, given she had to lug the top weight of 58 kilograms around the heavy track, but were pleasantly surprised when jockey Peter Mertens surged to the front to win impressively.
They were presented with the trophy by Thoroughbred Club of Australia president Gary Lechte.
The meeting also produced doubles for Cranbourne-based Mertens and heavyweight counterpart Steven Arnold, who rode his two winners for Flemington based-trainer Danny O’Brien.
Mick Kent was the other successful Cranbourne trainer on the afternoon when his $9 chance Power of Pride saluted by just over a length in the final event on the card, ridden by Michelle Payne.
