Interesting day in the office for Hugh Bowman as he chalked up Group I number 16 for the season at Doomben on Saturday while training honours for the weekend went with a little known trainer from Warwick Farm.
MIXED BAG FOR HUGHIE BUT YET AGAIN HE FINISHES A GROUP I WINNER
With a winning treble and yet another Group I to his tally Hugh Bowman certainly stole the show at Doomben on Saturday but his day out also took him to both ends of the riding spectrum.
With mounts in all nine races he saluted with ease aboard Ruthven and Religify positioning them perfectly from the start before eventually winning the Group I Derby and Listed Wayne Wilson Plate with ease.
The win on Ruthven took his tally to 16 Group I winners for the season with 13 in Australia and three in Hong Kong.
Those rides however were in stark contrast to his last-to-first performance in the Group II Queensland Guineas aboard Salsonic with the gelding having to put up a phenomenal effort to win after missing the start and settling a distant last.
However, while there was plenty of joy to be had with his trio of winners Hughie also had tales of woe with a few of his other mounts which included the other two Group I races aboard Clearly Innocent and Taking Aim, who both endured wide barriers in the Stradbroke and J J Atkins.
While their efforts were impacted by wide barriers two other Bowman mounts, French Emotion and Nancy had their chances completely lost through shocking luck in transit.
Neither mare got a clear crack in the straight, and while impossible to say either would have won they both should have finished much closer than French Emotion's 12th and Nancy's seventh.
WHEN A (ALMOST ) PERFECT RIDE BECOMES A NIGHTMARE
Glyn Schofield must have been chuffed with himself after 200m of the opener at Doomben on Saturday. After all he'd negotiated the outside gate in a field of 13 to have favourite Tactical Advantage one off the fence on the speed within 200m.
Soon afterwards he then had cover come across to deliver the perfect trail but from then it turned decidedly ugly.
With those around him continuing to stick on down the running it wasn't until after the 100m Schofield was able to get clear and while Tactical Advantage charged home it was a case of too little too late. He was a tragedy beaten.
BONNY BRAVE BUT NO LUCK FOR EXTENSIBLE
Wide barriers brought about the undoing of numerous favoured runners at Doomben on Saturday with Bonnie O'Reilly one of those, but drawing inside was equally disadvantageous for some.
Bonny O'Reilly had to work hard from her wide gate in the Dane Ripper before racing outside the leader however the early effort told in the later stages although she never shirked her task in finishing third, less than a length from the winner.
On the flip side Extensible drew barrier five and jockey Damian Browne had no luck at all getting clean air before the mare ran on strongly when finally in the open to finish only two lengths from the winner Prompt Return.
Certainly at the $31 currently on offer Extensible shapes as a sneaky chance in the Tatt's Tiara judging on her latest performance.
CLEAR WINNER FOR WEEKEND TRAINING HONOURS
While all the big guns were leading in winners at Doomben, Randwick and Flemington my gong for best performance this week goes clearly to Warwick Farm trainer Wendy Roche.
On a heavy 10 she delivered Nettoyer in perfect condition to plough through the mud and record a 10-length win over 2000m at Randwick with the filly having just her third start.
Previously the daughter of Sebring had run well getting home for third over 1400m at Randwick but to step her up so significantly in distance to 2000m and win so decisively was a fantastic training effort.
SATURDAY A TOUGH VIEW FOR YOUNG MITCH
It would have been a shocking day in front of the television for apprentice Mitch Aitken on Saturday after the youngster was stood down by stewards after an irregularity was found in a urine sample at Seymour trackwork last month.
Winter invariably delivers plenty of chances for apprentices and Aitken was booked for seven mounts at Flemington on Saturday. Unfortunately for him two ended up winners, Falago and Bullish Stock.
Considering his last 25 rides in town have returned just a couple of placings and a week earlier he was ditched from Dulverton at Moonee Valley young Mitch would have been greatly in need of those winners on Saturday.
FOLLOW ME
It was impossible to miss the run of Samovare in the second at Flemington on Saturday and she's set to make a name for herself in the eastern states.
The former WA galloper was making her debut for the Hayes-Dabernig yard and, giving weight to every other runner she didn't get the best of trips before charging through the line to fail narrowly behind Pedrena.
Samovare was having only her sixth start on Saturday and daughter of Savabeel is already a Group III winner in her home state.
FORGET ME
Goathland is fast becoming an expensive commodity and it will be hard to get massively confident whenever he next steps out next time.
On Saturday he was up against moderate opposition and appeared to have every chance before being overrun by a horse who was fighting off possible retirement.
He went to the post as a $1.65 chance on Saturday and previously, when third at Sandown the five-year-old went around at $2.15. It's doubtful he'll be going around that short next time.
