LEADING jockey Linda Meech made the perfect start to the new racing season with a treble at Hamilton on Saturday.
Fresh off 62 wins the previous season, the Group 1-winning rider hit the season running with three winners from her four rides.
One of her biggest supporters over the years has been trainer, Symon Wilde, with the pair combining for a double in the opening two races.
Chimed was an easy six length winner of the Bet365 Maiden Plate over 2200m, followed by debutant, Sleep Deprived, who finished strongly from midfield to win by just under four lengths.
Chimed who took 17 starts to break his maiden flat win, has been seen at the Hurdle trials this season and more than likely will show up in a Maiden Hurdle at either Coleraine or Ballarat at his next start.
The beautifully named Sleep Deprived being out of Tavistock mare, Night Nurse, looks very promising and should work her way through the grades
Meech capped her treble by winning on Adrett in the final race, the South West Real Estate Photography 0-58 Handicap over 1400m.
Adrett is trained by John Leek Jnr, who celebrated a huge weekend by also winning the Grand National Hurdle the following day at Sandown with super jumper, Affluential.
The Spectator Best Bet did not let her followers down when an easy winner of the appropriately named Sheepvention ‘See Ewe There’ Maiden Plate over 1600m.
The surprising part of the all the way victory was the very generous starting price of $2.70.
Jarrod Fry quickly took control of the race from barrier rise, eventually finishing two lengths ahead of runner-up, Pure Thoughts, from the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable.
Geelong trainer, Tony Parker, had a good day winning the 1600m Finchett’s Plumbing BM64 Handicap with Akahata, before Statemanship finished runner-up in the final event.
Other winners were Brazen Brando for Dan O’Sullivan and Alana Kelly, and Maunarette for Andrew Bobbin and Jack Hill.
While not winning, both Kasami and Dollar Bucks ran well for respective trainers, Bec Winnell and Trudy Cottier, both can run well again under similar conditions.
Next Sunday we head to Coleraine for the annual Great Western Steeplechase meeting.
Results
Race 1 Bet365 Maiden Plate 2200m - 1st Chimed (Linda Meech/Symon Wilde) $1.70f; 2nd Carashan Chloe (Jarrod Fry/Andrew Homann $5.50; 3rd Jayveekay (Mitchell Aitken/Henry Dwyer) $8.
Race 2 Jockey Celebration Day Maiden Plate 1200m - 1st Sleep Deprived (Linda Meech/Symon Wilde) $4.40f; 2nd Houdini (Alana Kelly/Daryl Cannon) $51; 3rd The Mariner (Eoin Walsh/Stephen Lenehan) $11.
Race 3 Sheepvention ‘See Ewe There’ Maiden Plate 1600m - 1st Hand Me Down (Jarrod Fry/Tony and Calvin McEvoy) $2.70f; 2nd Pure Thoughts (Liam Riordan/Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr) $5.50; 3rd Specky Boy (Craig Atkinson/Damien Hunter) $26.
Race 4 Finchett’s Plumbing BM64 Handicap 1600m - 1st Akahata (Tom Madden/Tom Parker) $13; 2nd Melissa Kate (Kate Walters/Wayne Walters) $13; 3rd Mo’s Stash (Jack Hill/Brady Cross) $7.
Race 5 Walkers Earthworks 0-58 Handicap 2200m - 1st Maunarente (Jack Hill/Andrew Bobbin) $6.50; 2nd No Matter What (Jarrod Fry/Peter Chow) $5; 3rd Idon’tgetit (Melissa Julius/Peter Chow) $4f.
Race 6 Star Printing 0-58 Handicap 1100m - 1st Brazen Brando (Alana Kelly/Dan O’Sullivan) $8.50; 2nd Outstanding Reward (Jarrod Fry/Peter Chow) $8; 3rd San Marino (Tayla Childs/Brian and Ashley McKnight) $5f.
Race 7 South West Real Estate Photography 0-58 Handicap 1400m - 1st Adrett (Linda Meech/John Leek Jnr) $3.60f; 2nd Statemanship (Ryan Hurdle/Tony Parker) $7.50; 3rd Serin (Jack Hill/Joanne Mugavin) $7.
