An excited Charlotte Littlefield trained her very first winner when Miss Mandito won the Lielani Series Final at Flemington, and 86 minutes later Melodeon, having her first start, won impressively at Echuca.

Sunday wasn’t a rest day either, races were at Pakenham and the winning run continued when Sebeat, by Seabring, made it three winners over two days for the Pakenham based stable.    

Melodeon is possibly one of the few runners sired by Glass Harmonium, he was impressive in winning the L K S Mckinnon Stakes, Derby Day, some years ago, and has since sired eight winners.

Ten horses are currently going through the training system, and another ten are not that far away, the training program is working well producing winners, that is all that counts.

Charlotte is a very capable young lady with an excellent personality, and a fresh face in racing will do her no harm.

Michael Walker gave the mare the run of the race, he was an outstanding jockey in his homeland, New Zealand, and he still retains that magic touch.

Charlotte Littlefield

Racing continues to boom in Asia, particularly in Hong Kong, where 10 and 11 races are programmed, and as you would expect field sizes are holding remarkably well.

Last week’s meeting saw 11 races programmed at Sha Tin, with Zac Purton riding 6 winners, more than half the program .

Whilst Danny O’Brien was taking a well earned break, they are always short in racing stables, Ben Gleeson filled in the role of saddling up Second Bullet, winner of the VRC –CRV Cup Tour Trophy over 2000 metres at Flemington last week.

Ben has been attached to the stable for just over a year, ultimately he will join the ranks of trainers when the time is ripe.

That time might be four or five years away, he is under a very good master, he is a good clean cut young man with a lot to learn, he has the advantage of being attached to a leading stable that producers winners.

Ben Gleeson

George Hope is 94 and still plays a round of golf each week with Alan Simpson, who would be pretty close to 90 himself.

George was apprenticed to Fred Hoysted at Mentone, he was a great trainer, particularly of two year olds, Ungar, Usage, Hindu Prince and Fred found a box for Rising Fast when he first came from New Zealand.

Mentone should never have been have closed, it was a good track; it broke up a lot of good family trainers.

The Robbie Laing trained colt, Fabulanski, opened his winning account in the Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington, he has broken his maiden status and a Derby start is now under discussion.

There is still a long way to go, its only July, a lot of water will flow under the bridge before the sunny days of spring appear, and the blue riband is decided.

Falulanski is by the 2013 Victoria Derby winner Polanski, no Derby winner to this stage has sired a V R C Derby winner, and in fact geldings were declared ineligible after the win of JohnnIe Jason in 1931, the ban was lifted in 1967 for the win of Savoy.

Robbie Laing with Linda Meech

However, we will keep that story for another day.