RACE 1
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PINT-SIZE stayer De Little Engine ($7) powered towards the Bagot Handicap with an emphatic victory in Ballarat on Saturday.
Flemington trainer Danny O'Brien confirmed there are plans to take the four-year-old towards the New Year's Day feature event at Flemington after a crushing five-length win in the $60,000 People@Work Benchmark70 Handicap, 2300m.
"Those colours have been really lucky colours for us with Shamexpress, Shamrocker. and this guy is a nice stayer in his own right," O'Brien said.
"He was only a very little weanling when (part-owner) Jeff (Dimery) purchased him and he has been a long-term project to make into a nice stayer.
"He showed a bit in the autumn as a three-year-old and it was really good to see him step out over ground today and score a pretty dominant win."
De Little Engine, a gelding by Encosta de Lago, was ridden by Chad Schofield and has now won three races from 16 career starts. TIM O'CONNOR
HOW THEY FINISHED
PEOPLE@WORK, 2300m: 7.00 DE LITTLE ENGINE (J R Dimery, C Chandraraj, R J Conolan, D Goldsmith, D McClelland, L Poulos, L French & P D French's b g 4y Encosta De Lago - Arapaho Miss. Trainer: D T O'Brien) 59.5 (C Schofield) 1, 6.50 MURPHY'S DELIGHT 60 carr 57 (Regan Bayliss) 2, 4.20 fav DARK LOCHNAGAR 58 (Jarrod Fry) 3.
RACE 2
STEPHEN Baster had an extra reason to celebrate his 40th birthday after riding I Love It ($4.80) to victory in the $80,000 Easy Waste Plate for mares, 1200m.
The John Salanitri-trained four-year-old saluted by half a length ahead of Counted ($11), with $2.40 favourite Danestroem third.
Owner Frank Salanitri said it was a well-deserved win given I Love It's history.
"We had a number of issues (over the spring) with her with barrier draws and everything like that," he said.
"We didn't get a run at Flemington, then going to Sydney she drew 16 from 16 there.
"To try and keep her fresh physically and mentally, we kept sending her to the water walker and I think that helped her along," he said.
I Love It has now won three time from seven starts for more than $100,000 in stakes. PAT NOLAN
HOW THEY FINISHED
EASY WASTE PLATE 1200m: 4.80 I LOVE IT (F P Salanitri, Mrs P L Salanitri, J P Salanitri, J Damiano, Mrs M Damiano, R Mittica, S G Dimer, J Slucki, J S Paltos, Miss S L Chapman, A Salanitri, N M Searles & A Capaldi's b m 4y Artie Schiller (USA) - Not That Innocent. Trainer: J P Salanitri) 55 (S Baster) 1, 11.00 COUNTED 57 (Craig Williams) 2, 2.40 fav DANESTROEM 56 carr 54 (Ms J Beriman) 3.
RACE 3
THE day kept getting better for jockey Stephen Baster.
He made it a running double on Magnus Effect in the $50,000 Eureka Concrete Benchmark84 Handicap, 1400m.
A late replacement for Danny Adam, Baster made the most of the pick up rider on a four-year-old described by Cranbourne trainer Stephen Theodore as being immature.
Theodore, who as usual stood out in his customary pink attire, said there was no doubting the gelding's ability.
"He's exciting.
"When he goes good he's good.
"At home nothing can go with him," he said.
Theodore said it had been a big effort from the whole team to get him to the races.
Baster said Magnus Effect had a mind of his own.
"When he doesn't want to go, he won't
"He's a thinker."
Baster had to dismount on the way to barrier to get Magnus Effect to the gates, but once he was there everything went well.
"He jumped well instead of missing the jump."
Magnus Effect ($3.10 favourite) made the front running, comfortably holding Mannopoly ($10) by two lengths on the line, with Graciosus Prospect ($3.70) third. DAVID BREHAUT
HOW THEY FINISHED
EUREKA CONCRETE 1400m: 3.10 fav MAGNUS EFFECT (R J Pompe, G Robb, D P Cockerell, D W Roff, C K Hickey, F Hadjiantonakis, C Boutakis, W A Boyd, J Garreffa & Pensamarr Racing, Mgr: A S Marr's b g 4y Magnus - Sinikka. Trainer: Stephen Theodore) 54 (S Baster) 1, 10.00 MANNOPOLY 60 carr 57 (Jordan Childs) 2, 3.70 GRACIOUS PROSPECT 56.5 (M J Walker) 3.
RACE 4
BRENDAN McCarthy always felt his son of Murtajill was "close to a group horse" even before his first trip to the races.
So it came as no surprise to the Caulfield trainer when Murt The Flirt ($10) produced an upset win on debut in the $100,000 Magic Millions 3yo Classic, 1100m.
"It takes quite a bit and you need a lot of luck on your side to get here in the end, but I'm very happy with the way things have gone," McCarthy said.
"The owners and the horse have been excellent to work with and it makes the job a lot easier."
The $1million Magic Millions Guineas on the Gold Coast in January next year now appears the target for Murt The Flirt, which is likely to be given a hit-out in the clockwise direction in a lead-up race at Wyong on December 18.
Many from the horse's big ownership group were on hand to celebrate the triumph in Ballarat, with McCarthy saying he was "very confident" of landing a first-up raid.
"He has taken a while to mature. Last time in he had a couple of jump-outs and we were really happy with the way he was going, but he was just a little bit shinny," he said.
"We actually had him entered for a race and scratched him. (We) just thought we would wait for the right race and aimed him for this," he said. TIM O'CONNOR
HOW THEY FINISHED
MAGIC MILLIONS 3YO CLASSIC 1100m: 10.00 MURT THE FLIRT (R Mikkelsen, Mrs V C May, S A Tweddle, Mrs K Murray, Mrs C Cooper, N J Chandler, B S Jostlear, A J Young, Ampulla Lodge (Mgr: S M Jostlear), Top Racin's br/bl g 3y Murtajill - Loves Attention. Trainer: B J McCarthy) 57 (Chris Symons) 1, 8.00 BOUNDARY 55 (Ms L J Meech) 2, 21.00 GUAJEO 55 (C Newitt) 3.
RACE 5
IF Caulfield trainer Mick Price had had to choose between his two starters in the $100,000 VOBIS Gold 3yo Eureka Stockade, 1400m, he would not have put Making Mayhem on top.
However, it was the gelded son of Testa Rossa which landed the money - beating home Durendel ($17) and a barnstorming Profit Share ($3.60 favourite) by almost a length.
This is not to say Price did not have faith in Making Mayhem. which was having his fourth start.
The lure of $60,000 first prizemoney and a SUPER VOBIS owners' bonus of $23,000 was more than enough incentive for owner Betty Hoare to enter two horses.
Price and Hoare also had Devon Princess in the second running of the feature event on a Ballarat Cup Day.
"It's a great opportunity with a horse like Making Mayhem to make super prize money," Price said.
Price said he would now eye race in town for Making Mayhem.
"I wouldn't give up on him going to town and being a three-year old metropolitan horse, for sure. It's probably where he's got to go now anyway after winning this," he said.
"He's a lovely, sound horse and he will get a mile and he's on the right track."
Price praised the VOBIS Gold series.
"These are massive prize money races," Price said.
"It's a fantastic reason to be in Victoria racing horses. I should own one myself."
HOW THEY FINISHED
THOMAS JEWELLER VOBIS GOLD. EUREKA STOCKADE 1400m: 16.00 MAKING MAYHEM (Mrs B Hoare's ch g 3y Testa Rossa - Running Riot. Trainer: M G Price) 57 (C Schofield) 1, 3.60 fav PROFIT SHARE 57 (B Rawiller) and 17.00 DURENDAL 57 (Damian Lane) dh 2.