New Year's Day means Burrumbeet races.
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Many regular attendees cannot be there this year owing to crowd restrictions in keeping with it being a COVIDsafe event.
Follow the races as they happen here:
RACE 1
Burrumbeet has again proved to be a happy hunting ground for Ballarat trainer Damien Hunter.
Hunter added to his New Year's Day tally at the track with lightly raced seven-year-old mare Christine's Legacy ($9.50) on Friday.
She wore down Nero To Nero ($6.50) to get the money, with Revelry ($81) two lengths away third in the Eureka Concrete Maiden, 1800m.
Christine's Legacy settle well back before working into the race and staking a claim on turning for home.
Hunter, who only has a small stable, now boasts three wins at Burrumbeet from 11 starters.
He won with Zendi in 2010 and again with Zaxti two years ago.
Christine's Legacy has been a late starter to her racing career, only making her debut in May this year.
Ballarat jockey Lucinda Boyd took the ride.
EUREKA CONCRETE MAIDEN PLATE 1800m: 9.50 CHRISTINE'S LEGACY (b m 7y Rebel Raider - Imoras. Trainer: Damien Hunter) 57.5 (Lucinda Boyd) 1, 6.50 NERO TO HERO 59.5 (Ms C Puls) 2, 81.00 REVELRY 59.5 (W Gordon) 3. Then followed: 51.00 Trust But Verify 4.80 Jousting 10.00 Dr Schultz 2.00 fav Crackerjack Lady 41.00 Stephen's Green 21.00 Petulant Peg 61.00 Seduced By Fame last. All started. Nk, 2 len. Time: 1:51.62.
TAB Nos: 7 3 4. Win $8.70 place $2.00 $2.00 $9.50. Q: $27.20. E: $74.60. Duets: 7-3: $6.70, 7-4: $23.00, 3-4: $38.40. T: $2,602.00. First 4: 7-3-4-6: $11,037.00. Sub: NSR. All Started.
RACE 2
Ballarat trainer Emma Collins will always remember January 1, 2021, at Burrumbeet.
It is the day she saddled up her first winner.
Little Red Fox held on to take out the T.B. White & Sons Maiden, 1350m.
A six-year-old mare, Little Red Fox ($9.50) made the most of getting a run after being the emergency to stave off a hard-finishing Yesmeena ($1.80 favourite), which just came up short after easing forward from near the tail of the field.
Something Grand ($4.20) was third as the top three finished withina length of each other.
Little Red Fox's was only Collins' fifih starter in a race, having been the first at the start of December.
The chestnut was previously trained by Stacey Kotz in South Australia and the win came at Little Red Fox's third start for Collins.
T.B. WHITE & SONS MDN PLATE 1350m: 9.50 LITTLE RED FOX (ch m 6y Honalee - Tracerline. Trainer: Emma Collins) 57.5 carr 55.5 (Mikaela Lawrence) 1, 1.80 fav YESMEENA 56 (H Coffey) 2, 4.20 SOMETHING GRAND 56 (Ms C Puls) 3. Then followed: 15.00 Cianna 8.00 Enchanted Euro 20.00 Leica Secondchance 61.00 Natural Courage 51.00 Jungle Bell last. Scr: Just Hang Up, Evolving Evie, Under His Eye, Tornado Flame. Sht hd, 1/2 len. Time: 1:21.02.
TAB Nos: 9 8 7. Win $9.10 place $2.10 $1.04 $1.90. Q: $5.80. E: $25.30. Duets: 9-8: $2.60, 9-7: $4.30, 8-7: $1.70. T: $65.30. D: $143.60. First 4: 9-8-7-3: $369.50. Sub: 8. Scr: 1,10,11,12.
RACE 3
Monsieur Macron ($4) made light work of his rivals in the Mt Misery Sand & Soil Benchmark64 Handicap, 1350m.
The all-the-way leader put the race away a long way from home - winning by 3.5 lengths.
The Moors ($2.30 favourite) had no luck, being caught wide for the journey, and fought on strongly get second, with Uptown Lilly ($3.60) third.
Monsieur Macron carried consistent form into the race, having won at Swan Hill five starts ago and Echuca three starts ago.
Jarrod Fry took the ride.
MT MISERY SAND & SOILBENCHMARK64 1350m: 4.00 MONSIEUR MACRON (b g 6y Swiss Ace - Best French. Trainer: Kane Harris) 61.5 (Jarrod Fry) 1, 2.90 fav THE MOORS 60 carr 58.5 (Alana Kelly) 2, 3.60 UPTOWN LILLY 57.5 (Dean Holland) 3. Then followed: 8.00 Ronay 7.00 Ellehcim 21.00 Mighty Moshe 101.00 Ali Orphan last. All started. 3-1/2 len, 1-1/4 len. Time: 1:19.61.
TAB Nos: 1 2 4. Win $3.60 place $2.00 $2.50 NTD. Q: $6.40. E: $11.50. T: $37.10. D: $80.00. First 4: 1-2-4-3: $128.40. Sub: NSR. All Started.
RACE 4
Ken Fythe rarely takes horses west of Melbourne from his home base at Foster in South Gippsland.
He broke that pattern on Friday and it paid dividends with Be Miss Luchy ($2.70 favourite) taking out the McKinnon Seed Cleaning Benchmark52 Handicap, 1350m.
Although he had ventured north of Melbourne on a few occasions, it was his first starter on a Western Victoria track since going to Geelong in June, 2015.
Be Miss Luchy joined Fythe's stable late last year and initially focused on the picnic circuit, winning twice at Woolamai.
With picnic meetings being a victim of COVID-19 racing calendar adjustments, it has been tough going on Gippsland tracks since.
However, the six-year-old found Burrumbeet to her liking as she held out Franquin ($4.20). King's Hand ($19) was third.
Ballarat apprentice jockey Alana Kelly gave Be Miss Luchy the run of the race, sitting one-out one-back.
MCKINNON SEED CLEANING BENCHMARK52 1350m: 2.70 fav BE MISS LUCHY (b m 6y Kaphero - Hussana. Trainer: K J Fythe) 58 carr 56.5 (Alana Kelly) 1, 4.20 FRANQUIN 59 (Jarrod Fry) 2, 19.00 KING'S HAND 60 (Ms C Puls) 3. Then followed: 6.50 Sticks 3.80 Blonde Russian 26.00 Love In The City 41.00 Lady Annabel 51.00 Hot Glory last. Scr: Just On Spec, Not Approved, Molly Magic. Sht nk, 1-1/2 len. Time: 1:20.66.
TAB Nos: 5 4 2. Win $3.10 place $1.50 $1.30 $2.50. Q: $4.70. E: $10.20. Duets: 5-4: $2.00, 5-2: $5.50, 4-2: $10.30. T: $62.20. D: $14.10. First 4: 5-4-2-3: $223.90. Sub: 5. Scr: 9,10,11.
VIC TAB EARLY QUADDIE on races 1,2,3,4: (7)(9)(1)(5): $1,278.70. Subs: NSR,8,NSR,5.
RACE 5
I'm Oh So Pretty ($5) finally gave her connections to cheer about in the Protest Promise Maiden, 1000m.
She had not finished sixth in her first thyree starts, but with the blinkers on the three-year-old filly produced the goods for Mornington trainer Logan McGill.
I'm Oh So Pretty sat outside Simply Inspiring ($4.40) at the front and it was clear mid-race it would be a two-horse battle to the line.
Simply Inspiring finised 1.75 lengths away in second place, with I Feel Fine ($2.60 favourite) another three lengths away in third.
BET365 PROTEST PROMISE MAIDEN 1000m: 5.00 I'M OH SO PRETTY (ch f 3y Starcraft (NZ) - Puppetry. Trainer: Logan McGill) 56 carr 54 (Tatum Bull) 1, 4.40 SIMPLY INSPIRING 57.5 carr 56 (Alana Kelly) 2, 2.60 fav I FEEL FINE 56 (Dean Holland) 3. Then followed: 21.00 Happy Socks 18.00 Soomayya 41.00 Vision Of Life 9.00 Iambifier 15.00 Why Now 17.00 Rock Smock 41.00 Wild Velocity last. Scr: Ride Of A Lifetime, Verando, Neelanjali. 1-3/4 len, 3 len. Time: 0:58.36
TAB Nos: 9 5 8. Win $5.60 place $2.40 $2.40 $1.04. Q: $13.20. E: $23.30. Duets: 9-5: $3.50, 9-8: $2.70, 5-8: $3.00. T: $70.70. D: $26.30. First 4: 9-5-8-1: $861.30. Sub: 8. Scr: 11,12,13.
RACE 6
Snake Valley apprentice jockey Tatum Bull completed a running double in the Grow Better Garden Products Benchmark52 Handicap, 1000m.
She guided Infernal ($4.40) home for Cranbourne trainer Mark Sues.
Infernal had not won since November, 2019, but had produced some minor placings of late.
Talk About Tom ($31) filled second with Ramp ($4.40) third as the top five hit the line within a length of each other.
This is a good time of year for Bull. Lasst season she had a double at Nhill on Boxing Day and backed up with another winner at Burrumbeet.
This time around she has done even better with a treble at Nhill on Sunday and now a double on New Year's Day.
Ands these followed a double at Geelong on December 20.
GROW BETTER GARDEN PRODUCE BENCHMARK52 1000m: 4.40 INFERNAL (b m 8y Onemorenomore - Sweeping Plains. Trainer: Mark Sues) 58 carr 56 (Tatum Bull) 1, 31.00 TALK ABOUT TOM 55 (Ms C Puls) 2, 4.40 RAMP 60 (W Gordon) 3. Then followed: 11.00 Bay Of Faith 8.50 Cosmic Scoop 2.80 fav The Fugitive 14.00 Laurentian 20.00 Project Manhattan last. All started. Nse, lg hd. Time: 0:58.81.
TAB Nos:6 8 4. Win $4.10 place $1.04 $4.00 $2.00. Q: $61.50. E: $112.20. Duets: 6-8: $28.00, 6-4: $3.00, 8-4: $7.60. T: $529.50. D: $39.40. First 4: 6-8-4-3: $2,140.40. Sub: NSR. All Started.
RACE 7
Thomas Carberry has joined the array of Ballarat trainers to land the Burrumbeet Cup.
Stable favourite Diplomac Jack ($3.30 favourite) was an emphatic winner of the $25,000 Petrogas Burrumbeet Cup, 1800m, which had a truly international flavour.
Carberry is originally from Ireland, while Ballarat-based winning jockey Neil Farley hails from England.
Diplomac Jack, which provided Carberry with his first winner as a trainer in September 2018, made the pace and kicked away heading for home to score by more than two lengths.
Brigadier ($18) was second, with Von Mystic ($12) third.