PHILANTHROPIST Bill Gibbins hopes to be track side for Warrnambool's Jericho Cup race meeting on December 3.
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Gibbins, the founder of the Jericho Cup which is run on the flat over 4600-metres missed last year's meeting due to health concerns.
"I've got my fingers crossed I'll be there on December 3," he said.
"I've had kidney problems and was really sick last year. I'm on a dialysis machine Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Melbourne which keeps me going but I'm booked in to be on the machine at Warrnambool's South West Healthcare for the Friday and Monday while I'm in Warrnambool.
"It'll be great just to get down there to the races and catch up with people from across the south-west."
Gibbins was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to horse racing and to people with disabilities as well as his philanthropist generosity in the 2021 Queens Birthday honours.
Melbourne bound
Warrnambool mare Morrissette is Melbourne bound after winning a restricted race at Hamilton last Friday.
Trainer Simon Ryan said Morrissette may have her next start in a $60,000 restricted race over 2500 metres at Moonee Valley on December 1.
"I was very happy with her win at Hamilton," Ryan said. "I think her fitness levels had improved with the two runs under her belt before the Hamilton run.
"She had a couple of minor issues when she was past in work but we're over them now. Morrissette should really appreciate the 2500 metre around the Valley and with a bit of time we'll get her out to races over 3000 metres at the Valley."
From her 18 start's Morrissette has won over $105,000 in prize-money for her connections.
Honoured
Popular Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman shared the training honours with fellow local trainer Lindsey Smith at Hamilton last Friday.
Both had winning doubles. Bowman was successful with Trustfall and Ready Set Trap while Smith won with Mean Feat and Captain Britain.
Bowman said the double was rewarding for his stable.
"We decided to target our horses for races at the back end of the spring carnival and over the summer months," he said.
"The decision has already paid dividends with the two winners at Hamilton. Trustfall had been working well at home before this race and we were quietly confident he would run well. It's a great result for his owners who bred Trustfall up at Swan Hill.
"Ready Set Tap put the writing on the wall for an up-coming win after nice runs at her last three starts."
Warrnambool-based jockey Melissa Julius had the ride on Trustfall while Neil Farley was the winning rider on Ready Set Tap.
Wet track
Dry weather over the last fortnight has forced Penshurst Racing Club officials to put plenty of water on its track in the lead-up to its cup meeting on November 25.
Club secretary Brendan Kelly said he anticipated more water would be needed for the track to be in top condition for the once-a-year meeting.
"We've been watering each morning and night for the last two weeks," Kelly said. "The track is in great shape but watching future weather forecasts we'll have to keep on watering.
"There's not much rain forecast before November 25. We've got plenty of water in the dam plus a lot in the bore. We use a toe-line which covers 400 metres at a time to water the course proper. We're confident come race day there will be an excellent surface for racing."
Kelly said tickets sales were good for the event but he expected more in the lead up to the races.
Winning form
Hay Joe kept up the good run of Tower Hill trainer Pat McKenna in winning a maiden plate at Ararat on Sunday.
The five-year-old stallion with Warrnambool apprentice jockey Tayla Childs in the saddle, having only his second start, beat Faithinher and Wyuna Star in the 1100 metre race.
McKenna said Hay Joe had taken time to mature. The quietly spoken trainer, who has five horses in work, gave credit to Childs after the win of Hay Joe.
Super Snitch, a stablemate of Hay Joe ran second in a restricted race on the same program.
Strong carnival
The 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival was a big one for former Koroit based jockey Declan Bates.
Gallant mare Pride Of Jenni gave Bates two Group 1 winners for the week. He was successful on the mare in the $1 million Empire Rose and the $3 million Champions Mile on Saturday.
The Irish born hoop, who has won three Group 1 races now lives in Ballarat. He has called Australia home since 2015.
His first Group 1 victory was on Begood Toya Mother for Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman in the 2019 Rupert Clarke Stakes.
Annual meeting
All roads lead to Dunkeld this Saturday for the running of its annual cup meeting.
The popular once-a-year race meeting run at the base of the Grampians attracts patrons from various parts of Australia.
The club has capped numbers at 10,000 patrons for the meeting. This year's Dunkeld Cup, which is run over 1800 metres, has prize-money of $50,000.
Suspended
Jockeys Jason Maskiell and Dakota Keane were suspended after the Pakenham meeting last Friday night.
Maskiell pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge following his ride on Jenniferwish. He will spend nine meetings on the sidelines. His suspension began on November 12 and ends midnight November 20. Keane copped a ten meeting suspension for a whip infringement. She was also fined $200 for the infringement.
