Veteran Tasmanian trainer Vern Poke has a new stable fan base - Lexton Football Netball Club.
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Poke's punt to send seven-year-old Brimondo to Ballarat on Friday for Victoria's richest maiden, The Hotham, paid off handsomely with the mare producing the performance of her life to salute.
Not only did she pick up $41,250 in stakemoney for Poke, who also owns her, Brimondo earned the Lexton Tigers $25,000 in a "Backthebattler" promotion.
Sportsbet, which sponsored the $75,000 feature race, offered cash prizes for community sport groups across Australia.
Sporting organisations were invited to enter a draw by stating how tough their year had been, with the aim of being partnered with a runner in The Hotham.
Lexton was among 14 groups to get a horse, which guaranteed cash prizes from $25,000 to the organisation with the winner down to $2000 - depending on where they finished - and drew Brimondo.
Brimondo went into the race with seven minor placings from 24 race starts.
The move of the Ballarat Turf Club meeting from turf to the synthetic track could not have worked out better for Brimondo.
She does most of her racing on an all-weather track at her home base at Spreyton near Devonport and she made the most of it despite being caught wide the 1200m journey.
Ballarat apprentice jockey Alana Kelly took the ride, with Brimondo ($31) drawing away by 1.5 lengths from Whitsunday ($31), with Nievre ($12) third.
Poke is in his late 70s and trains an handful of horses. He had Ballarat's Dean Larsson look after Brimondo for the assignment.
BALLARAT trainer Shay Keating combined with owner Keith Parry to land a second win in the space of four days on their home track on Friday.
They saluted with Gingerson at Donald on Tuesday and followed up with Tuffntt ($6) in the Bowler's Name!? Maiden, 1400m.
Keating said Tuffnut was difficult to ride, just doing what he had to - so she had a big tick for jockey Jarrod Fry for his ride.
Keating said the four-year-old run had followed some strong efforts in good form races.
Tuffnut is also showing a liking for the synthetic surface, with the win, a second and third on the Ballarat Polytrack circuit.
Ballarat-trainer Nigel Blackiston had a double.
Emerald Crown made it two from two on the Ballarat synthetic track in the Milk That Tastes Like Real MilkBenchmark58, 1400m, and Pure Exceleration took out the Sovereign Hill Benchmark58, 2100m.