• Berwick Gazette
• Pakenham Gazette

9th January 2008 02:00:11 AM

Above left: Warrigal Tom crosses the line ahead of Chatter Brooke to win the Pakenham Picnic Cup on New Year’s Day.

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SALE galloper Warrigal Tom made it six victories from seven starts on the picnic racing circuit this season with his convincing win in the G. & K. O’Connor Pakenham Picnic Cup over 1750 metres on New Year’s Day.

The meeting was held in extreme heat, with temperatures in the high 30s, with the anticipated crowd well down on past years.

However club officials were pleased with the day, considering the conditions, and Warrigal Tom’s success highlighted a big day of racing action.

Warrigal Tom raced 28 times before breaking his maiden status, but has since hit top form with the Pakenham win being his best result to date.

Given the run of the race, sitting third on the fence behind the pacemaker Nashor, Warrigal Tom challenged race favourite Chatter Brooke at the top of the straight and raced clear to score an impressive win.

Warrigal Tom was backing up after winning easily at Woolamai two days earlier.

The five-year-old is trained by popular Sale mentor Alec Manning, who has been a stalwart of picnic racing as a trainer and a rider for about 50 years, and was ridden by Leigh Taylor who has guided the Ladoni gelding to five of his six victories this season.

The David Bourke Trophy Race over 1300 metres was taken out in barnstorming style by another Sale-trained galloper in Vintage Dancer that finished full of running to overhaul favourite Intracool in a stirring finish to score by a half neck.

Ridden by Glenn Pattison, the seven-year-old Barishnykov gelding scored his second win from 16 starts.

Vintage Dancer was the longest priced winner on the card, starting at $7, making him the fourth pick in the eight-horse field.

The second horse was ridden by local hoop Adam Bodey, who was going for four wins in the opening four events of the afternoon.

Dianne Clover’s Eureka Jet took out race one, the Cremin Frank Facey First National Maiden Handicap, while fellow Pakenham mentor Michael Howard was successful in the following Worlds Best Hoof Oil CRV Picnic Racing Sprinters Series race with Underfoot.

The third of the Bodey treble was aboard last start Drouin winner Like Thunder prepared by Bairnsdale trainer Rod Hammond in the Barbara Scott Restricted Trophy Race over 1400 metres.

His treble of wins were all aboard favourites. Eureka Jet took out the Cremin Frank Facey First National Maiden Handicap for local trainer

Agent Frost, made it a salute of four favourites from the day’s six events, easily taking out the final event, The Cardinia Shire Council Restricted Trophy Race over 1750 metres.

Well ridden by Debbie Waymouth for her daughter and co-owner Rebecca, the Last Tycoon five-year-old hit the front turning for home and coasted to the line to score by a length.

The second Pakenham Picnic meeting for 2008 will be held on Saturday, 12 April and among the features will be the popular Fashions on the Field competition with five categories, together with children’s entertainment including rides and other fun activities.

The main race on the program will be The Trevor Lineham Open Trophy Race over 1300 metres with the event being the final meeting of the 2007-08 picnic season.

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