Echuca racing wrap from cup day

A post-race veterinary examination revealed a laceration to the gelding’s back heel, likely to have come after crossing eventual runner-up Highway To Success passing the 800m mark.

It was a disappointing end to Melbourne Cup Day, considering the Jim Lake-trained gelding had been in consistent form heading into the meeting.

The six-year-old had a first and two seconds to his name to start his latest preparation.

“It was just bad luck, I reckon he had enough to win,” Lake said.

“But that is the racing game.”

In the end it was another country trainer who reaped the spoils in the final race, with Benalla’s Russell Osborne celebrating the win with seven-year-old mare Beautiful Bee.

It was a return of ‘Last Race Russ’, a moniker coined for Osborne last year for his knack of pulling out winners in the last race.

The victory was Beautiful Bee's first since September 2020 and the eighth of her career.

Gwenda Johnstone’s Very Shamus finished seventh, more than four lengths back from Beautiful Bee.

Race five saw a late charge from the Rob Blacker-trained Set Us Free to win in the BM58 Handicap over 1600m, with Mick Cornish and Donna Gaskin’s Cape Mount and Bolden Beau finishing seventh and ninth respectively.

Mornington’s Andrew Bobbin also left a winner, with Hendrika the runaway victor in the BM58 Handicap over 1400m, a race in which Johnstone’s Bon Shadow was a late scratching.

Heading into the straight a length ahead of Toojay, Hendrika left all in her wake to finish four lengths clear of second place.

Earlier in the day a late plunge on Mr Satellite failed by a nose in the first race.

The three-year-old gelding opened overnight at $15 but the money started coming shortly before start time — and kept on coming.

By the time they jumped he was $6 and the focus of attention for everyone from the race caller to the punters watching on TV screens.

But the Dwayne Reid-trained horse simply could not catch Gerald, which proved too strong over the last 100m in the $25,000 Think Water Echuca Plate over 1000m.

The same result met local trainers in the first four races on the card — lots of hopes but no results.

With no crowds at the track, it was a somewhat muted affair at Echuca, although there could be no complaints about the Good 4 surface.

Rhys Archard’s Ashmosa ran seventh of 14 in the opening race, while Mick Cornish and Donna Gaskin’s Bronny’s Reward made it from emergency to starter but finished way back.

A winning partnership between Wangaratta trainer Ben Brisbourne and apprentice jockey Hannah Edgley continued to pay dividends in the second race of the day.

Edgley, who broke her maiden at Benalla on October 25, has been racking up winners everywhere she rides since and added her first at Echuca to the count when she guided favourite Otelo to his own maiden win over 1200m.

The three-year-old was a comfortable winner, with the Cathleen Wilson-trained Jack Of It running second more than a length back.

Despite improvement coming in her past few outings, Gwenda Johnstone’s Lika Mosh continues the search for a maiden victory, running sixth in her sixth start.

There were few surprises in the maiden plate over 1400m, with the favourites rounding out the top three.

Ballarat trainer Henry Dwyer’s Better Tomorrow went one better after a second at Mildura a month earlier, while Barry Goodwin’s She Ha continued her run of seconds, with five runner-up finishes in 13 starts.

Shrugging off a tough barrier draw, Better Tomorrow came from second-last to first, sprinting home in an outside lane to win by a neck over Ha She, with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s three-year-old Alverdun finishing third on debut.

Rounding out the first half of the card in the Benchmark 64 over 3200m, Frankenstar scored back-to-back wins for Geelong trainer Kathryn Durdin, holding off the more experienced Border Leicester.

Echuca Racing Club’s next meeting is set for New Year’s Eve, with its Family Day Out set to see a return of crowds.

• Michael Cornish and Donna Gaskin’s Full Ahead has drawn barrier five for tomorrow’s $150,000 Very Special Kids Pin and Win Trophy over 2000m at Flemington .

Craig Newitt will take the reins aboard Full Ahead, who opened at $67 for the win and $17 for the place.

Bolden Beau will also be back in action for the Cornish-Gaskin stable, racing at Ararat on Sunday in the $35,000 BM58 over 1600m.

Rhys Archard’s Reggae Roc will head to Benalla on Sunday, with a eye on his first win since July.

The seven-year-old comes off two thirds and a fourth in his past three starts in October, and will line up in the 0-58 Handicap over 1612m.