Callaghan Park Review: Melbourne Cup Day 4th November.

Jockey Butler stars at Callaghan Park

Jockey Ash Butler stood tall at Callaghan Park on Tuesday, riding a treble of winners including the Yeppoon Cup winner.

Trainer Tim Cook prepared For Valour to win the $15,000 Yeppoon Cup, Country Challenge Qualifier (1400m) with Butler getting the front runner home.

For Valour ($2.20 Fav) won by just under a half-length from the fast-finishing General Wolffe ($9.00 – Warwick Satherley) with Moktaffy ($5.50 – Chris McIver) very close in third place after seriously challenging the winner inside the final 300m. An 8-year-old by Zoustar, For Valour has now won 8 races from 48 starts. For Valour was purchased by Bill Mumford for $32,500 from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott last year at an Inglis online sale.

Butler’s second winner for the day was a ‘walk in the park’ on the Clinton Taylor trained favourite Pressora who took out the Great Northern Benchmark 55 Handicap (1300m). The $1.70 favourite led from the outset and strolled home by more than four lengths. Santorini Summer ($4.60 – Chris McIver) was doing its best work late to take second place ahead of Zouly ($15.00- Tasha Chambers). Pressora is building an impressive record for Taylor with three victories and a second place from four race starts.

It was a case of positive thinking by Butler to bring up his treble on Penseur Positif, yet another favourite to win.

Starting at $1.75, Penseur Positif had to fight hard for its victory getting home by about a neck in a three-way finish from Flyball ($2.60 – Chris McIver) with  the runner up’s stablemate Cash Artist ( $4.20 – Natalea Summer) right in the finish to run third. By Duporth from Glass Half Full, 3YO Penseur Positif is cleverly named and was picked up cheraply by his owner group headed by trainer, Gladstone’s Adam Briskey.

Bundaberg Bank Manager gets a winner with first Rocky runner

Darcy Short saddled her first Rockhampton winner with her first runner at Callaghan Park. The bank manager and part-time trainer from Bundaberg saddled Humble Hero, a former Victorian which was having its first Queensland start.

Ï bought him from Dylan Dunn and he looks like a nice horse for us,” Short said.

Humble Hero was ridden by Natalea Summer and started at odds of $4.20. Incisive Ivy ($1.90 fav – Warwick Satherley) ran second with Sunshine Ruby ($5.00 – Raul Silvera Olivera) in third place.

Bookend winners for Silvera Olivera

Raul Silvera Olivera started and finished the Callaghan Park program with winners completing a riding double on Cobbo ($13.00) in the Railway Hotel  0-55 (1200m) and Discovered Gold $1.90 Fav.  in the Norris Heir BM50 Handicap (1050m).

Cobbo trained by Christine and Michael Dore won by a half length defeating Dalt Jaz ($3.20 Ash Butler) wiyj Holy Crown ($4.20 – Natalea Summers) third. Discovered Gold scored its second win staving off a determined Power Chic ($4.00 – Ash Butler) with Mimmy’s Secret ($4.20 – Chris McIver) in third place.

The other winners on the nine-race program were Office Politics ($1.70 – Chris McIver) in the Keppel Park Maiden (1050m); Kai Mondo ($4.20- Nikki Olzard) in the Mary Hornery / Greg Simpson QTIS Class 3 (1050m); Bull Dimple Rum ($4.80 – Chris McIver) in the In Memory of Sandy Atfield BM 50 (1400m) .

• David Aldredf (CEO)