A recap of the supporting races on Cranbourne Cup day, where local trainers won every feature race on the card.
A fast track and competitive racing meant quick times across the day which was evident from Race 1 as Remedies, a two-year-old filly on debut for Godolphin, scorched along in the lead to win by 3.5 lengths.
Mark Zahra, who would go on to win the Cranbourne Cup aboard Uncle Bryn, said the filly gave him a great feel during the race.
"She's a feisty little girl, she didn't give me the easiest time going around there (to the start) but one thing she has got is speed… I felt her once I shook her up around the bend and it was all over," Zahra said.
Cranbourne Classic
Punters piled in to Dunkel ($1.80) in the three-year-old feature, the son of Dundeel having won impressively on debut at Moonee Valley but he had to settle for second here, with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young notching up their first of three winners on the day in the form of Serangoon.
Well beaten at listed level at Flemington prior, Michael Dee controlled the race in front and pinched a break, leaving the very raw Dunkel with too much to do late.
Co-trainer Natalie Young suggested Group 1 targets in the Autumn and Winter may be on the table, with both the South Australian and Queensland Derbies possible options for the son of Ilovethiscity.
Maher & Eustace have a smart 3yo as Greece goes under
Just like Dunkel, punters expected the filly Greece to win Race 4, backed into $1.70 off the back of a 4 length maiden win at Geelong, having dodged wet tracks since, but it was the stablemate Garza Blanca who ran out a dominant 3 length winner, Greece barely holding onto second.
Co-trainer Ciaron Maher & David Eustace wasn't shocked to see his colt beat his filly, suggesting the penny hadn't quite dropped before.
"He's a horse we've always had a good opinion of, he's run in some nice races but the penny hasn't dropped, he's a colt and it's taken a bit of racing… it's no surprise to see him win," Eustace said.
The leading Victorian training duo would make it a double on the day with Pal D'oro running out a dominant winner in the last at benchmark 70 level.
Local trainers claim features
The Fillies and Mares pendant was taken out by Megamea for Cranbourne trainer Luke Oliver, giving owner and former trainer Udyta Clarke an emotional win.
It's such a great win, obviously for Don and Udyta and the horse, she really deserved to win this spring. It's been a long prep and she came here in really good condition and she was never going to lose that race," Oliver said.
Later in the card, the Apache Cat Classic went to another local stable, with the Cindy Alderson trained Jigsaw a most impressive winner of the 1000m dash.
Group 3 placed as a two-year-old in the Blue Diamond Prelude last year, Jigsaw hasn't quite gone on with it, but did win first up last preparation and repeated the dose here in easily his best career win.
Showing an abundance of gate speed to lead a very quick horse in Midwest, he kept up a strong gallop and showed the favourite a clean pair of heels on the bend, going on to score by 3 lengths, with Sartorial Splendor edging out Midwest for second.
Alderson suggested the firm track was the key to the horse but even she was shocked at how much early speed he showed.
"I didn't know that he was going to hold his spot but he did everything I asked and it was a great result," Alderson said.
