The John Gunning trained Valpincon started a great day for locals when she won the second race at Pakenham on Friday. 74588 Picture: David Nagel
By David Nagel
JOHN Gunning started it, Kasey Wilson and Greg Hayes kept up the momentum and Terry Ahern finished off the job as local trainers dominated the TAB Christmas Raceday at Pakenham on Friday.
Beautiful weather greeted the big crowd and it was Gunning who got the locals off to a flying start when his four-year-old mare Valpincon won race two, the $12,000 Cardinia Shire Kids Day Out, 7th Jan Maiden Plate in impressive fashion.
Gunning owns, trains and bred the daughter of his broodmare Miss La La and she was never in danger of defeat. Jockey Kane Bradley settled Valpincon in a handy position before she exploded away from her rivals to win by just over a length from Harry’s Magic with I’m Not Kidding back in third place.
The in-form trainer has been on a hot streak lately, his stable star Hi Belle won three of her most recent starts including two Listed Race wins at Caulfield and Sandown.
His only disappointment on Friday was not receiving one of the racing club’s infamous Christmas Hampers that winning trainers collected in years gone by.
“Where’s my hamper, I’ve been waiting years to win a hamper and now you don’t have them anymore,” Gunning joked with committee person Yvonne Blackwood and Life Member Gavan Bourke in the winning owner’s room after the race.
Gunning was extremely confident heading into the race with his mare that was first-up since running seventh on a bog track at Pakenham on 19 June.
“We were very confident before the race, it wasn’t a strong race and she’d worked well leading in, I told Kane when we had a chat yesterday that she’d win,” Gunning said.
“The only concern was all the rain we’d been having lately, she doesn’t handle wet tracks but this track has improved so much, it’s racing beautifully.
“We’ll give her another run in a couple of weeks but we’re not getting too carried away, as I said earlier, it was a pretty weak race.”
