In Brief
- Four winners for Leanne Gaffney snares equal third in trainer's premiership.
- Cranbrook impressive first-up in BM74.
- Treble for Star Thoroughbreds.
Spreyton trainer Leanne Gaffney ended what was clearly a career-best season by preparing four winners and three minor placegetters from eight starters at what was the last meeting of the season in Devonport on Sunday.
Gaffney won with Elisavet in race two, a maiden-class one over 1650 metres and proceeded to prepare the last three legs of the quadrella with Cranbrook, Tessie and Cabarrus, all of which wore the Star Thoroughbred colours.
Gaffney inherited several horses from Barry Campbell when he was outed last year and along the way she delivered many feature race winners with a number of his former stable tenants, including Devonport Cup winner Newhart and Deroche that won multiple feature races and the Group 3 Vamos Stakes.
Gaffney’s bag of four took her season tally to 29 to tie John Blacker for third place on the trainer’s premiership.
Scott Brunton failed to snare a winner on Sunday, but he emerged the winner of his sixth consecutive trainer’s title with 50 winners with Team Wells, comprising Leon and sons Dean and Trent, second with 36 winners from their Brighton and Devonport stables.
Gaffney preferred to downplay her big day at the office.
“It was nice to get four winners, but the most important thing was that all of our horses ran well and that’s the most pleasing part of it all,” Gaffney said.
“I was particularly pleased with Cranbrook’s win first-up from a lengthy spell and it was good to see Cabarrus win again because he is quite a difficult horse to train and ride.
“Tessie was also impressive and our mare Elisavet showed her usual courage to win.
“There were a couple of hard-luck stories as well, but overall, I couldn’t be happier with how we ended the season.
“It hasn’t been an easy season for anyone of us given the shutdown because of COVID-19 but now we just have to be confident and see what the new season brings.”
Gaffney ended the 2019-20 season with a brilliant strike rate of just over 25%
Craig Newitt won his third consecutive jockey’s premiership with 64 wins to finish well clear of Siggy Carr (40) who closed her season with a win aboard the unbeaten Dark Wanderer that looks set to be aimed at next year’s Devonport Cup.
It was a traffic jam for third spot on the jockeys’ premiership with Bulent Muhcu’s double aboard Tessie and Cabarrus ending his season equal with Anthony Darmanin on 39.
Brendon McCoull’s double aboard Elisavet and Cranbrook took his tally to 37 to finish equal fifth with David Pires who delivered a great ride to secure a win for Needadollarbill.
It was an outstanding effort from Pires who only resumed race riding in November last year after almost 18 months out of the saddle through a severe hip injury and he missed another 11 weeks due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
Watch Cranbrook score an impressive first-up win in a benchmark 74 handicap.