AFTER THE LAST

THE WIN

ROMA mare NOOR DROPPER hadn’t won since scoring over the Clifford Park 870m course in February and she lapped up her return to the scene on Saturday with a commanding Benchmark 65 win for trainer Warren Morris and 3kg claimer Grace Willoughby.

THE TRAINER

HIGHER Love continued a strong end to the racing year for the PAUL NOLAN stable when he added to the trainer’s recent winning strike-rate with a break-through victory for jockey Kenji Yoshida in the Maiden Plate.

THE RIDER

SKYE BOGENHUBER (pictured) and apprentice REBECCA GOLDSBURY shared the majority of spoils with two wins each on the seven-race card.

FROM THE STAND

Race 1: There was specking for The Barracuda at 21 and Redhaze saw phone money at 13. The winner Red Colour saw small money at 6 for a breaksquare result for bookies.

Race 2: Sonador Fire was backed each-way at 23. Every man and the pretty girls were on Little John. The 2 went off very quickly. The bookies had to wait for 20 minutes to see the result taken from Little John and given to Beach Drum. Race 3: There was small specking for Flavian at 21. Then the money came off and on track for Bogey. Bookies went off at 2.60 and paid the price for being generous. There was one phone of $1500 at 2.50 and bookies were back to the field. Race 4: In this race there was no real money for any runner to beat the winner in Brenda. Brenda was a 1.50 with no takers and the QOP went in 1.35. Then the phones rang for Brenda at the 1.50, there was one good phone bet of $3000 at 1.50.

Race 5: This was an open race where bookies got to lay most runners. There was good on-course money for I Do Care at 12. The money followed the off-course trend on Ol’ Brown Eyes who was backed at 3.50 with a phone bet of $500 at that figure. Noor Dropper was able to produce her old form and kicked away for a strong win.

Race 6: The phone money was on Mulga Thumper at 4.40. The money came on course for Archer’s Treasure at 3.10. The winner in Fish Burger had support off course and was backed from 3.9 into 3.7, but no money came back to the track.

Race 7: Punters found it hard to sort this race out and they backed a few in the get out stakes. C’Mome Paddyreilly had followers at 5. Taprock was backed on course at 8.50. There was small specking for Pat’s Girl at 31. The favourite in Stannis was hard to lay. The winner in Higher Love was backed off course from 7 into 4.20 and no money came back to the track and this saved the bookies. Overall the bookies went home winners on the night.