Green Card had a bit on his rivals, in ability and experience, in winning the Ted Rainford Plate at Caulfield on Saturday

The gelding was never off the bit at any stage of the race; he won the jump, and travelled well thereafter, with Linda Meech giving the youngster as easier a run as possible.

Whilst there are naturally spring plans ahead for the gelding it will be first things first, he will be given a well deserved break, on what we have seen to date he will get further and shows a lot of promise, however, while race clubs continue to program 1100 metre races for two year olds, so late in the season, is bewildering.

Green Card ridden by Linda Meech

Green Card is prepared by the successful training partnership of Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison at Whittlesea.

Craig was at the helm on Saturday discussing future plans for the gelding and what direction they might take, there are several options; Sydney might not be ruled out either.

“The win was very much like Bendigo, we thought he could win but was surprised how easy he won it, the result was never in doubt,” said Craig Widdison.

“We have an opinion of him, he will have a freshen up now and target something in the spring,” he added.

All the good races for three year olds are on the target for him, it’s all a matter of if he can measure up.

Green Card receives a well earned pat from Craig

Clemo’s win in the June Handicap will be long remembered for a variety of reasons, a runaway winner at Flemington, and a fine lady who gave a touching tribute of her late husband.

Clemo certainly brought joy to his trainer, and the wide group of owners that race the steel grey gelding, he was greeted by a reception worthy of a Melbourne Cup win.

There were touching scenes in the mounting yard after the win of the gelding named in memory of Paul Clements, who had succumbed to cancer.

His widow, Rachel, was overjoyed by the win, “it’s an incredible day for us, I think what’s happened here today, it has been an opportunity for the kids and I to have a relationship with the passion that was very much Paul’s.”

Colours carried by Clemo were designed by his children, depicting a rainbow in the sky the day their dad died.

The gelding has always shown Pritchard – Gordon that he has ability, it is now beginning to show, this was his third win from seven starts, a credible strike rate.

It hasn’t taken long for Craig Newitt to his niche; he is back in winning form after a riding stint in Singapore.

Clemo ridden by Craig Newitt

Whilst it is not uncommon for brothers, or even sisters, riding against each other, new ground was broken at Flemington on Saturday when husband and wife rode in the same race.

It all happened when Dean Yendall rode Academy Jack for Darren Weir, and Christine Puls had the mount on Le Remas, for Brian McKnight, in the VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series.

No doubt they would have had a discussion on how their mounts performed driving back to Horsham that evening.

Yendall would not spend many daylight hours at home, when he is not riding in races he is going or coming from the races, many long lonely hours are spent on the road travelling, he knows every bump from Warrnambool to Mildura.

His latest car, not quite 12 months old, already has nearly 90,000 on the clock, and he has lost count of how many cars he has had.

After two provincial wins, the latest at Swan Hill, lightly raced three year old, Dodging Bullets, was thrown in at the deep end, winning the Brian Beattie Handicap at Flemington.

The lightly raced gelding, by Dash For Cash, is prepared at Warrnambool by Simon Wilde, a highly promising young trainer with a great future ahead of him.

From the 800 metres he was in the box seat, casting a shadow over Zahspeed who had led from the outset.

Once the straight was entered he soon had the race safely put away, there was never any doubt after that, he is a horse with a high cruising speed, at this stage he is heading for a bright future.

Dodging Bullets winning the Brian Beattie Hcp

Simon Wilde always thought the gelding would get a mile, but possibly not quite so soon, however, the stable had their suspicions that he was well above the ordinary.

He showed a great turn of foot for a horse that has had so little racing, he has been well educated and given time, patience is now being rewarded.

While Dodging Bullets was in receipt of all the accolades, the run of Azeema could not be overlooked, she was stone motherless last on the home turn and rattled home at the rate of knots, she loves Flemington and won there at her previous outing

Simon Wilde winning Trainer

French bred mare, Iteration, was prominent on the radar at Flemington with a sound performance, finishing third in the final race, the Leilani Series.

First up since October she is bound to be improved by the outing, after drawing the rails she was among the first half dozen turning for home.

She would have been expected to go backwards from there, but to the contrary, she held her ground, surely there is a race about for her after that first up run.

Treve took a step closer to becoming one of racing immortals in her quest to win a third Arc, she remained on track after her win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

Not her best by any means as she was seriously challenged in the home running by Flintshire, however, under a little persuasion from Thierry Jarnet she found that little extra, as champions do.

She was sent out at the cramped odds of 4-9, as a result she stifled betting, there was little business done on the race.

Jarnet rode a patient race; he gave his mount ample time to settle before it came to the serious side of the issued.

She gave enough and that is all she was required to do, she has time on her side with a possible couple of runs before her major assignment, the Arc.

The Arc is run over 2400 metres, it could be quite confusing for visiting jockeys riding in the race, they are well briefed as to the terrain of the track, the race is started at the traditional land mark, the wind mill.

Apprentice jockeys, Samantha Wynne and Courtney Barnes, will head to Melbourne in July for two weeks as a result of a scholarships awarded by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

Wynne will be based with John Maloney at Caulfield, while Barnes will be with Pat Carey at Mornington.

Christchurch based Wynne is the leading apprentice in the South Island with 49 wins to her credit this season, the Irish lass is also second to Rory Hutchings in the national apprentice premiership.