Molino’s delight at handicap quinella
IT WAS double delight for wily trainer Alby Molino as he picked up a promising quinella in the maiden handicap at Cluden Park yesterday.
It was a crowning moment for four-year-old gelding Eightfa, who excelled in his stable debut after coming up from Victoria last month.
Frankie Edwards gave the gelding by Unencumbered the best possible run sitting three wide with cover for most of the 1300m journey before hitting the accelerator down the home straight.
But it was the work of second-placed Cheese Burger (Pietro Romeo), who faded in the straight, which impressed Molino just as much as his winning charge.
The inexperienced threeyear-old got caught wide down the back straight and was forced to dig deep to lead the field into the home straight before he was swamped by his stablemate.
“I am glad Cheese Burger ran a good race too, but this bloke (Eightfa) was just too good,” Molino said.
“In the last 100m I didn’t think he was going to get (Cheese Burger), but in the end it was just a good run from both of them.”
Molino’s Townsville operation has continued through the COVID-19 pandemic with 10 horses in work at present. The trainer praised Racing Queensland for the chance to keep working and suggested the guidelines put in place had worked well in North Queensland.
It proved to be a day for the local gallopers with Charters Towers trainers Ben Williams and Kayla Russell picking up wins in the earlier races while Townsville’s Leigh Wanless was celebrating after four-year-old mare Miss Flawless stormed through the middle to chase down favourite I Did It Again in the Class 2 Plate (1000m).
Williams’ speedy filly
Which Lily made it three wins on the trot and sent a warning to her rivals ahead of the Townsville Two Year Old Classic in a fortnight.
The two-year-old by Falvelon showed impressive pace out of the gates to make the most of a rails run, before holding off a fast finishing Higher Realm to win by almost a length.
But Williams said there were queries over her ability to get up over the 1200m journey of the Classic.