Spitfire Lady had to receive two results before she was finally declared the winner of the Rivette Series Final at Flemington.

While the judge, Bill Quin, had no hesitation in declaring her the winner by a half neck, the final decision rested with the stewards after Ben Melham, the rider of the second horse Ava’s Delight fired in a protest against Spitfire Lady being declared the winner, alleging interference in the straight.

After taking evidence from both parties, the objection was ultimately thrown out and correct weight declared.

The protest was bordering on being frivolous, with the patrol film viewed from all angels showing no signs of interference.

Perfect Offering turned in the best run outside of the winner, she came in for quite some support, after being well back in the field she was running on well, she could find her way into the winner’s circle again shortly.

That is about the only form that is going to come out of the race; the placegetters carried too many guns for their opposition.

In the absence of trainer, Michael Moroney, Spitfire Lady was saddled up by his deputy, Matthew Hoysted, a young man who has quite an attachment with the filly; she is honest as was shown with her win at Flemington.

Spitfire Lady- Winning with Darren Gauci

David Hayes was in no hurry to bring Honey’s Steel Gold to town, preferring to give the colt race experience at the provincials, before going in at the deep end.  

After five runs, the latest a win at Cranbourne convinced the trainer the timing was right to take the next step and come to the city.

Wisdom payed off with Honey’s Steel Gold getting up in the last stride to defeat the more fancied, The Bowler, in the Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington.

The Bowler was well supported to start second favourite, looked to have the race won until Honey’s Steel Gold put in his late claim.

Lady Lakshmi started favourite, but didn’t show the same dash as she had when winning at her two previous starts at Flemington.

The bloom is now off; she will go for a break, which will have to be short one if she is going to be prepared for the spring.

Which direction the winner, Honey’s Steel Gold, will take is not certain; it will depend on how he pulls up.

He is by Keep The Faith, from Lunar Lights, by Bianconi, he is destined to become a successful broodmare sire.

The result couldn’t have been better scripted as the winner carried the same colours as Taj Rossi did, white brown circles registered by the late Vic Peters, he raced Taj Rossi with much success.

Honey's Steel Gold on the outside

The passing of Sir Henry Cecil, recently, was the final chapter in the life of a man who was a genuine legend.

Legend and champion are so often use indiscriminately, with little thought of the true meaning, however, that would never be squandered on Henry Cecil.

He was a remarkable man, he never elaborated on the horses he had trained, or the races they may have won.

After all the success he enjoyed, winning races on the majority of racecourses in Britain, plus all the classics several times over, yet he was a modest man, prepared to rest on his laurels.

Horses were never his prime mode of conversation, often preferring the more mundane things, dividing his time between training racehorses and his love of horticulture.

He was a devout rosearian, his rose gardens were a picture; he also enjoyed growing a wide variety of berries.

That side of his life was a form of relaxation, away from the rigorous strains of training racehorses and the pressures it entailed.

He was a non bettor; he could see no value in making money in the morning, if you were going to give it away in the afternoon.

Cecil trained out of Warren Place, a magnificent property on the Moulton Road in Newmarket, built by the Maharaja of Baroda; the two story residence with 120 loose boxes and picturesque gardens is a show place.

I enjoyed my time at Warren Place, no experience like it, I recall the outer wall of the two story residence was being refurbished; Henry picked the colour scheme and mixed the paint.

He married Sir Noel Murless’s daughter, Julie, she was a huge asset as a track rider, they had two children, Noel and Katie.

Henry Cecil was an outstanding trainer, as his record is testament, in his overall ability as a trainer he never used a stop watch, he was gifted, he knew how well a horse was travelling.

Sir Henry Cecil 

A well earned winning double at Caulfield yesterday, via Last Gift and Road Trippin, both trained by Stephen Theodore, a grandson of legendary trainer, Bert Honeychurch.

Now rising 93 Bert Honeychurch was an institution to racing in the Riverina of New South Wales, where he trained at Berrigan.

I doubt if any horse ever died a maiden with Bert, he would take horses in all directions to make sure an owner had a winner and a picture on the wall.

Bert was an old Mentone boy, he moved to Bendigo with a handy horse in Rubontine, before settling in Berrigan.

Whilst he trained hundreds of winners he was a great mentor to budding young apprentices, Billy Cameron, Davey Heywood, Neil Sheldon, Geoff Duryea, and several others, they all lived in with him and his late wife Margaret.

He was a great trainer and a great master, while confined to a nursing home, he doesn’t miss a race when Stephen has a runner, you can bet he would be wearing a wide smile yesterday.

Moonee Valley Racing Club has announced an increase of $250,000 for the Group 1 Sportingbet Manikato Stakes, the race formerly carried prize money of $750,000, it will now be raised to $1 million.

The Manikato Stakes will be run on Friday night, 25th October, as part of the two day Sportingbet Cox Plate Carnival.

With the recent elevation of the weight for age, Moir Stakes, to Group 1 level, the race will have a stakes rise of $150,000.