VHRC OWNERS & TRAINERS BONUSES
Gunbower Cup Day at Echuca was the most recent VHRC bonus meeting held on Sunday 4th December with a large number of paid up horses eligible for both bonuses. Despite this, only one of them saluted during the afternoon.
You can enjoy these benefits by being a member of the club in the new season commencing January 1st, 2023 as many have and if you have not done so as yet and would like to take advantage of the offers, e-mail the club at contact@vhrc.org.au.
Registered paid up owners and trainers each receive a bonus whenever a horse wins at allocated meetings plus you receive all the benefits the club has to offer.
VHRC member Len Baker looks at the meeting.
Although the vast number of horses that were nominated couldn’t crack it for a win, one did and that was 5Y0 ex-Kiwi gelding Rick Reilly in the $14,500 Gunbower Family Hotel Gunbower Pacing Cup over 2560 metres.
Trained by Julie Douglas at Strathfieldsaye for daughter Hayley, Rick Reilly a tough son of Sportswriter and Shard’s Fantasy driven by Jack Laugher immediately went forward from gate four to park outside the pacemaker Stag Party (gate two) which had crossed Joshua Richard inside him. When stablemate Kosimo (gate five) was trapped three wide, Laugher eased to allow him to park exposed for a brief time before moving around him to once again occupy the ‘death seat’. Travelling comfortably all through the race, Rick Reilly was asked to run approaching the home turn and that he did, defying all challengers to defeat Kosimo by four metres which was given every chance by Daryl Douglas with the stable snaring the quinella. Stag Party held down third 7.5 metres away. In quarters of 30.9, 30.9, 28.5 and 28.3 after a lead time of 70.4 seconds, Rick Reilly returned a mile rate of 1-58.8, which was 1.8 seconds outside Malcolms Rhythm record set in 2021.
It was a great race for the Douglas family as apart from the stake and owners bonus, Julie also received the trainers bonus.
SUMMARY
OWNERS BONUS
H Douglas – Rick Reilly
TRAINERS BONUS
Julie Douglas – Rick Reilly