Ducimus, a $700,000 yearling, winner of the Talindert, kept his record intact, but only after having to retain it in the steward’s room.

Craig Williams, rider of the third horse Sanadaat, fired in an objection against Ducimus, being declared the winner of the race, due to interference occurring in the closing stages of the race, after a reasonable hearing the protest was thrown out and correct weight was declared.

While Ducimus has a clean sheet, as far as his race record is concerned, but the balance was still very much in the red.

A Ballarat win yielded just $12,650, while the Flemington win was an improved pay day of $72,000, there is still a fair way to go.

However, Ducimus has loads of potential, he is an improving youngster, he is good hands with the Hawkes team, they will access the best path to take.

He was well supported starting at half of his opening quote, best backed to beat him was the Sydney colt, Taking Aim, out of the Snowden stable from Sydney.

Ducimus winningthe Talindert Stakes

Kenedna continued the winning spree of Darren Weir, when she put paid to the opposition in the Group 3, The Vanity.

It was a pretty even field with exception of Legless Veuve who started favourite, yet she was still backable ahead of Harlow Gold and Extra Olives, while the winner, Kenedna, blew like a north wind.

With the aid of blinkers, which did the trick, she settled well in the field and was not asked for an effort until entering the straight, she didn’t shirk the issue either.

Darren Weir explained the use of blinkers, there is a time to use them, usually when a horse has had a couple of runs, when they are rock hard fit otherwise they can race a bit too fiercely.

“She has shown us at home that she has the ability to run a mile and we a very happy with her.”

It was the perfect win, the perfect ride, that’s about how you sum up the result of the Group3 The Vanity. won by Kenedna and ridden a great race by Damian Lane, the most improved jockey to come out of Western Australia in quite a while.

Kenedna winning in a breeze 

Hey Doc put punters in the right mood when he saluted in the C S Hayes Stakes, named in honour of a great trainer and a popular racing identity.

It was a fitting result as the winner is trained by Tony McEvoy, who was foreman for the late Colin Hayes for 30 years.

Hey Doc has proved an excellent money spinner, winning five times from 11 starts, and only out of a place three times.  

He is the type of horse that retains people in racing; he has never run a bad race, a model of consistency.  

He flew the gates and was never far away in running, he was ready when called upon, “he has to go to the Guineas now we will try him again at a mile, he deserves it and Luke Currie rides his so well,” said Tony McEvoy.

Hey Doc wins the C S Hayes

There was quite some mellow drama associated to the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes when three horses had to be withdrawn at the barrier.

All the runners appeared in the gate and a start eminent when The Quarterback seemed to crash down, causing a chain reaction effecting Faatinah and also Orujo, who were in adjacent barrier positions.

The original field of 12 runners was soon reduced to nine, with three late withdrawals at the barrier, all three were outsiders, it hardly affected betting.

Weather it affected any of the others runners is hard to say, although the favourite, Flying Artie, was throwing his head about a lot in running.

However, he didn’t really appear to be settled in the post parade, his mind may have been on something else.

The winner, Terravista, staged a great performance; he was friendless in the market place drifting from $10 to $15, with few takers

Terravista has won 11 of 25 race starts, and near $2.5 million in stakes, be hasn’t been duly over raced, he had to bow to Chautauqua last year, but there was no bowing in this time in the Lightning.    

His trainer, Joseph Pride, wanted the gelding to be held up and wait for a late run with Corey obliging to the letter.

Terravista gets up in Lightning