Recent rain had the track rated a Soft 6, indicating some give, but the May Day Racing meet still produced a superb spectacle.
It was Piazza that kicked things off in the first race, the GMCU Maiden Plate over 1200m, with Beau Mertens steering the Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior-trained two-year-old gelding to a dominant win, leading all the way to secure its first win at the first time of asking.
It was almost a double for the trainer and jockey combination in the bet365 Bet Boost Maiden Plate shortly after, too, as Blue Shield led at both the 800m and 400m marks of the 1300m race.
However, it was three-year-old gelding Paddypie, trained by Patrick Payne and ridden by Billy Egan, that showed a brilliant turn of speed down the straight, heading six-wide off the rail to hit the front and win by three-quarters of a length on debut.
Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Ciaron Maher enjoyed success on the day, too, with Kiwi Jenni, sat last for much of the 1600m distance, producing a storming run in the final few hundred metres of race three, the Hunters Maiden Plate, with hoop Declan Bates bringing the three-year-old filly wide to swamp the field and win by more than a length.
Race four, the Seymour Equine Clinic Maiden Plate, saw the equal-biggest field of the day jump from the barriers, and it was Nihancan that prevailed over the 2050m trip, kicking strongly in the final 50m to give trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon, as well as jockey Dylan Dunn, an upset win over favourite Deal Done Fast.
Four-year-old gelding Thinxzo gave trainer Danny O’Brien and jockey Damien Thornton a victory in the Ray White Seymour BM62 Handicap, race five on the card, with a stirring run to move from 10th to first over the final 400m to win by just over half a length.
It was a tighter margin of victory for Yuuki in race six, the Avenel Equine Hospital 0-62 Handicap, as Jye McNeil steered the three-year-old filly to the win for trainer Tim Fitzsimmons, crossing the line a head in front of second in the 1000m sprint.
Thunder Hawk proved too good in race seven, the Tallarook Sheds BM62 Handicap over 1450m, giving trainer Lucy Yeomans and jockey Brad Rawiller the victory by nearly two lengths, denying local trainer Hanna Powell and her hope Mahmudah in the process.
The final race of the day, the Annabelle Cleeland Member for Euroa 0-62 Handicap over 1600m, saw Egan complete a double, this time racing for trainer Grahame Begg, as three-year-old gelding Geeseven hunted down second-placed Imponderable to win by a nose in the closest finish of the afternoon.
While local trainers didn’t find success at Seymour last Thursday, there was a win elsewhere throughout the week, with Lee and Shannon Hope triumphing with Batoka Chief in race six at Echuca on Saturday, May 23, with jockey Cory Parish in the saddle.
Racing will return to Seymour in a little over a fortnight, with the Thoroughbred Thursday Racing meet set to take place on June 11.
