MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Jason Warren is enjoying a winning run of late alongside Victorian thoroughbred farm, Rosemont Stud. The pair combined to win two metropolitan races with two runners on Friday 30 November and Saturday 1 December in slashing style. Warren, who has trained out of his private property Denistoun Park, Tuerong for the past seven years, saddled up Miss Toorak Flyer on the Friday night at Cranbourne where the mare made a winning return to the racetrack. It was no ordinary return either from Miss Toorak Flyer who flew home over the 1000m sprinting trip to score a last-to-first…
Author: Ben Triandafillou
THE next generation of footballers made their way through the AFL draft on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 November, with a few familiar surnames among them. Former Frankston VFA stars Steve Hamill, Paul Williams and Paul Foot all shared the exciting, yet slightly relieving, feeling of seeing their sons get drafted alongside some of Australia’s best up-and-coming talent. Will Hamill (pick no. 30), Bailey Williams (pick no. 35) and Zac Foot (pick no. 51) will all be heading interstate to live out their dream of playing with the elite in the AFL. Hamill will be heading to the Adelaide Crows,…
THE Mornington Cycling Club hosted their season’s highlight, the MCC Road Club Championships, in Main Ridge on Saturday 10 November. The MCC Road Club Championships has long been touted as the club’s biggest day of the year, and this year it was certainly no different. The pinnacle of the club’s year had the biggest turnout they’ve ever had with the women’s competition enjoying more popularity than in recent years. Mornington Cycling Club president Bruce Trew said the event certainly lived up to its high expectations. “It went really well,” Trew said. “The weather was perfect. It was meant to be…
ATHLETES from across the country descended upon the Thomas Barclay Oval, Hastings in hopes of claiming the inaugural running of the Hastings Gift on Saturday 17 November. With $8,000 up for grabs in the 120-metre men’s and women’s feature events, the Hastings Gift was bound to attract plenty of attention. But it was the local Mornington Peninsula-based sprinting team, Pride Performance, who came to the fore in the 120m Women’s Gift as Sophia Fighera took out the first edition of the Women’s Hastings Gift. Fighera (5.00 handicap) finished ahead of Cara Boustead (10.00) and Commonwealth Games competitor Maddie Coates (-2.00)…
FROM suffering defeat in a lowly rated maiden to finding success at the elite level, a group of former Carrum footballers have enjoyed living out a piece of their “bag of dreams” over the recent spring racing carnival. The Robbie Laing-trained and aptly named colt, Stars of Carrum, surged his way into the $2 million Group One Victoria Derby field on Saturday 3 November where he finished runners-up and took his winning prize money to $526,355 from nine starts. Despite looking unlikely to have enough earnings to make the Derby field, the 20-strong ownership group along with trainer, Robbie Laing,…
MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer, Matt Laurie, topped off Kennedy Oaks day at Flemington on a high as his talented filly, Bleu Roche, saluted in the last event on the card. The three-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock saw the Flemington straight for the first time and scored a narrow but tough victory against her own age and sex in the $200,000 Group Three World Horse Racing Roses Stakes (1100m) on Thursday 8 November. The up-and-coming filly held off a wall of horses with the Clinton McDonald-trained filly, Causeway Girl, and the Lee Curtis-trained Meryl both being beaten by just under a head…
UP-AND-COMING junior Motocross rider, Ty Godfrey, has topped off his 2018 season by successfully taking out the Western Series final in Colac on Saturday 27 October. The Tyabb 12-year-old led the series by 50 points with one round to go and finished the final round in third place, providing him with the overall series victory. Ty’s father, Matt Godfrey, said it was great to see his son get around the track and finish the year on a high. “He finished third for the day, but he didn’t have to finish on top to win overall, he just had to get…
THOUSANDS of race goers packed into the Mornington Racecourse on Sunday 4 November for the annual Peninsula Cup. The highlight of the year for the Mornington Racecourse saw a crowd of more than 9,300 people flock into the stands to witness the Warrnambool-based master trainer, Darren Weir, claim yet another country cup. Having also won the Mornington Cup in March with Kings Will Dream, Weir backed-up his success on Sunday to take out the Peninsula Cup with five-year-old stallion, Royal Ace. Despite drifting in the market before the race, Royal Ace managed to run over the heavily supported Mornington-based gelding,…
MORNINGTON Cycling Club will host their season’s highlight, the MCC Road Club Championships, in Main Ridge on Saturday 10 November. The sixth annual Road Club Championships concludes a tremendous year for the club with the first event set to kick off at 8:00am. Mornington Cycling Club president Bruce Trew said that the championships are the biggest event of the year for the club. “We’re only a small club but it’s the end of year event where everyone comes together and we crown the best cyclist for the year,” Trew said. “It holds the most prestige of the events we hold…
MORNINGTON-based trainer, Logan McGill, has a seriously quick horse on his hands. The four-year-old son of Written Tycoon, Written Choice, made it back-to-back victories for the trainer on Friday 26 October, when he clocked the third fastest time of 54.77 seconds around the tight 955m Moonee Valley track. It made it three wins from four times that jockey, Stephen Baster, has taken a sit on him. Trainer Logan McGill said it was a fantastic feeling to see Written Choice overcome the wide barrier (10) and win the $120,000 sprint. “The other day when he won, he won a similar sort…
SOUTHERN Peninsula Sharks director of coaching, Gerard Hillier, has taken the Australian Youth Girls three-by-three team all the way to a bronze medal at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday 18 October. The youth girls side, made up of Suzi-Rose Deegan, Sara-Rose Smith, Ruby Porter and Alexandra Fowler, secured Australia’s first piece of international silverware in three-by-three basketball with a 16-13 victory over top-ranked China in the bronze medal game. The Australian side entered the tournament which went for almost two weeks as the last women’s seed (20th) and sat at 36th in the world rankings prior…
THE Mornington trainers made their presence felt at Caulfield for Blue Sapphire day by claiming back-to-back stakes races on Wednesday 17 October. Written By, for Pinecliff-based trainer Grahame Begg, continued his unbeaten preparation and maintained his undefeated status at Caulfield by claiming the $350,000 Group Three Blue Sapphire Stakes at his second run back from a spell. The Group One Blue Diamond winner bought up his fourth victory from four starts at the track and continued his progression towards the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Saturday 3 November. The three-year-old son of Written Tycoon scored a comfortable…
QUEENSLAND-based professional golfer Aaron Pike has won his first professional tournament, taking out the Victorian PGA Championship at RACV Cape Schanck Resort on Sunday 14 October. Pike, who began the final round two shots off the lead, shot 2-under 68 to finish at 10-under the card with rounds of 71, 65, 66 and 68. It was far from a straightforward finish however, as he faced a nervous wait as New Zealander Ryan Chisnall played the 18th hole in the group behind needing a birdie to force a playoff. Chisnall could only manage par giving Pike the biggest win of his…
MORNINGTON-based trainer Matt Laurie has Stakes ambitions with his smart filly Rainbow Girl after she kicked clear for a comfortable four-length win at Bairnsdale on Sunday 7 October. The daughter of Pierro had to overcome the second-widest barrier (9) to take up the lead, but once she crossed there was nothing able take ground off her in the straight. Trainer Matt Laurie was more than happy with the performance. “I thought it was very good,” he said. “She had to jump from the wide barrier and cross them but she still managed to kick clear very strongly – she did…
FREEDMAN Racing’s star sprinters, Shoals and Santa Ana Lane, are right on target for the $13 million The Everest after running the quinella in the Group Two Premiere Stakes at Randwick on Saturday 29 October. Santa Ana Lane (first) and Shoals (second) left several Everest competitors in their wake, including last year’s Everest winner Redzel, after scorching the turf to run a track record of 1.07.45s. Mornington-based trainer Anthony Freedman said it will just be about keeping them at their peak for the feature event on Saturday 13 October. “They are easy horses to travel and both have done a…
PENINSULA Boxers, Rueben Higgins and Bailey Seabourne, have walked away with two dominant victories at the Reggio Calabria Club on Sunday 16 September. Seabourne made it a winning return to the sport after having more than two years out of the ring. In his first time fighting as an elite boxer and under his new head coach Marcos Amado, Seabourne rose two weight divisions and easily accounted for his opposition, giving him a standing eight count before claiming the victory via technical knockout in the final round. Peninsula Boxing head coach Marcos Amado said it was great to see Seabourne…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Hockey Club’s under-16 Girls’ Green pennant team completed a near perfect season as they took out a nail-biting grand final victory over Doncaster on Friday 7 September. It wasn’t until the final five minutes that Mornington were able to break through Doncaster’s defence to score the decisive goal that secured them the victory at the Dandenong Hockey Centre. The grand final game was even throughout, but Mornington managed to hold off Doncaster until the final whistle and claimed the victory 1-0. Mornington Peninsula Hockey Club secretary Cheryle Bishop said, “It was an amazing display of courage, determination and…
MORNINGTON-based apprentice jockey, Jack Martin, has landed the biggest win of his career when claiming the Listed $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Saturday 22 September. The gun apprentice continued his outstanding partnership with the Gelagotis-trained Moss ‘n’ Dale to score a convincing 1.9-length victory and bring up his fifth victory from seven rides aboard the son of Castledale. Martin, 23, said it was a massive thrill to win his first stakes race. “It’s what every jockey aims to achieve and to do that so early in my career I’m pretty proud and privileged to do so,” he…
MORNINGTON Pirates Baseball Club has topped off a thrilling season with two grand final victories on Saturday 1 September and Sunday 9 September. The Pirates’ Senior C2 side scored a narrow one-run victory over Berwick at the Bonbeach Bluejays ground in Chelsea on Sunday 9 September, while the under-16s Junior Pirates’ side landed a convincing win against Frankston Red to take out their grand final, the week prior. Mornington Baseball Club president Matt Hardie said it was a top effort by all five of their final’s sides to make it so far. “It’s the most we’ve had playing in the…
MPJFL THE Mt Martha Junior Football Club had a massive hand in the Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League grand finals which were held over the weekend of Saturday 8 September in Pearcedale. The Mounties relished the “perfect grand final atmosphere” over the two days, with five of their nine teams taking out their respective age-group grand finals. There were three sides from the Frankston District Junior Football League (Mt Eliza, Frankston Rovers and Seaford) that also added to the occasion, with Mt Eliza also managing to claim the grand final victory in the under-18s Girls grand final over Mt Martha.…
BLAIRGOWRIE boxer Jayde Mitchell is one step closer to his world championship title after a tough victory over former Australian champion Kerry Foley on Friday 7 September. Just as he’s overcome various injuries, Mitchell managed to pick himself up after suffering several blows from Foley in the sixth round, to take out the 10-round match-up at the Melbourne Pavilion. Mitchell, who sat just inside the top 10 world rankings prior to the fight, believes he will now jump into the top five following the victory. Mitchell said Foley would have to be one of the biggest hitters he has faced…
HE’S only 12-years-old, but Tyabb Motocross rider, Ty Godfrey, is quickly climbing the riding ranks and has claimed the Victorian Junior State Motocross Title on Saturday 1 September. The humble athlete has lived and breathed the sport since he could speak, making motor bike noises and riding his first quad bike by the age of two-years-old. While he wasn’t specifically aiming to take out the state title, Ty still managed to rack up victories in three of the four rounds at various tracks across Victoria. Ty’s only unplaced round came after dislocating his finger in the second lap, yet he…
CONSTRUCTION on the Mornington Little Athletics Centre’s new $2 million IAAF standard athletics track at Civic Reserve, Mornington has started to get underway. Civil work construction commenced a few weeks ago to level out the dirt and create an even surface for their new track to be built on, and the little athletes are on track to be competing on the new surface by October 2019. Mornington Little Aths president Todd Martin said that with a bit of luck, the club should be on the track by the start of their 2019/20 season. “We always thought it would be around…
HOCKEY MORNINGTON Peninsula Hockey Club goalkeeper, Julia Ashmore, represented Australia for the first time in the over-45s Masters World Cup in Terrassa, Spain from Saturday 28 July to Sunday 5 August. Ashmore entered the Australian side with little expectations for the World Cup but returned home just one spot shy of earning a bronze medal. Ashmore helped the national side match it with the world’s best in the scorching conditions, and after claiming four of their five matches in the group stage, Australia made their way through to the semi-finals. In the semi-final, Australia faced the in-form English side, which…
BASKETBALL THE Chelsea Gulls have taken out the opening round of the Big V grand-final series in dominant fashion on Saturday 25 August, while the Southern Peninsula Sharks will need to win two on the road to be named grand-final victors. The Chelsea Gulls men’s division one side claimed an 11-point victory over the Shepparton Gators (94-83) in the first round of the best-of-three grand-final series. The Gulls scored the victory away from home and are set to play their next two rounds in front of their home crowd at Patterson River Stadium, with around 1,000 supporters expected to flock…
NETBALL THE Peninsula Waves’ under-19s history-making run has come to an end with a tough loss to DC North East Blaze in the Preliminary finals on Sunday 26 August. After claiming the minor semi-final over the reigning premiers, Geelong Cougars, on Wednesday 22 August, the Waves quickly backed up their performance to contest for the last remaining spot in the under-19s VNL grand final on the weekend. The Waves’ side, which is the first under-19s team to make it through to the finals series in the history of the club, put in a top performance against the Blaze but were…
MORNINGTON Cup winner, Kings Will Dream, has come back in terrific fashion with a fast-finishing fourth in the Group Two P. B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday 18 August. The dominant five-length winner of the Mornington Cup in March this year, has already secured his place in the Group One Caulfield Cup (2400m), and continues to firm as the early favourite for the $5 million contest following his barnstorming finish on Saturday. The Darren Weir-trained galloper sat at the rear of the field in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes before rattling off the fastest closing sectionals of the race,…
NETBALL THE Peninsula Waves’ under-19s side is making the most of their late dive into finals and have claimed the minor semi-final over the reigning premiers, Geelong Cougars, on Wednesday 22 August. It’s the first time in over a decade that the Peninsula Waves have qualified for the finals series and they have snapped at the opportunity with two determined back-to-back victories in the last two weeks. The Waves, who were sitting in fifth position coming into the final round of the Victorian Netball League season, clawed their way back into the top four with a convincing win over Melbourne…
PETER Hollowood Martial Arts, in Mornington, had an astounding 21 athletes represent Victoria at the Australian National Karate Championships over the weekend of Friday 3 August. The representatives had trained all year for the national championships in Caloundra, QLD and their hard-work was duly repaid with five of them claiming individual gold medals in Kumite, a form of point sparring. On top of their individual performances, the Mornington dojo athletes claimed a further five team gold medals and a silver team medal across the competition. Sensei Peter Hollowood, who is also a state coach, said the “fantastic results” came as…
PENINSULA Boxer Jason Whateley is set to make his professional debut, after racking up 98 amateur fights, on Friday 7 September at the Melbourne Pavilion. Having most recently claimed a silver medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April, his coach Marcos Amado, believes Whateley is more than ready to take the next step. “He’s reached the highest possible level in the amateur ranks and he’s now ready to do the same in the pros,” he said. “The longer amount of rounds will make a massive difference for him.” It’s been a long wait for Whateley to find an…