Battling Warrnambool-based Mervyn McKenzie's Christmas presents arrived three days late but the veteran trainer wasn't complaining when he completed his first city double at Sandown.McKenzie trained his first city winner in close to 25 years when lightly-raced sprinter King Cotton led all the way to win the Betfair Handicap (1000m) at big odds, and he could scarcely believe his luck when Princess Diablo completed the stable double in the Ahern's At Highways Handicap (1500m)."It's unbelievable an
Battling Warrnambool-based Mervyn McKenzie's Christmas presents arrived three days late but the veteran trainer wasn't complaining when he completed his first city double at Sandown.
McKenzie trained his first city winner in close to 25 years when lightly-raced sprinter King Cotton led all the way to win the Betfair Handicap (1000m) at big odds, and he could scarcely believe his luck when Princess Diablo completed the stable double in the Ahern's At Highways Handicap (1500m).
"It's unbelievable and a huge thrill. This is definitely my biggest day at the races," McKenzie said.
Although he gave Princess Diablo a "good each-way chance" in the final race of the day, McKenzie said he was surprised that King Cotton was able to win and admitted taking the four-year-old to Sandown was an afterthought.
"I just brought him down with Princess Diablo, I didn't really think he could win, I thought he might run a place if we were lucky," McKenzie said.
It was also a big day for jockey Michelle Hagley who won her first ever city race when successful on King Cotton.
Robert Smerdon's recent run of luck with horses carrying the Eclair prefix continued when Eclair Flyer won his second race in three starts with an impressive turn of foot in the Noni B Handicap (1000m).
Smerdon sends Eclair Mystic to the Group Three Standish Handicap at Flemington on Saturday and said that Eclair Flyer could be heading towards a stakes race in the not too distant future after winning his second straight race this preparation.
"He looks above average so we probably have to start looking towards something a bit better now, he's a promising horse," he said.
Eclair Flyer led all the way when heavily backed to win first-up at Moonee Valley but settled off the pace at Sandown before weaving through the field under a confident Jason Maskiell to give Smerdon hope that better wins are in store in the New Year.
"He had to change course there and he really hit the line well so there's probably no doubt that he's looking for 1200 metres now, we might be able to stretch him to 1400 metres," he said.
Despite being banished to the far north NSW coast after just two seasons at stud, former Darley-owned stallion Manton appears to have left his former owners with a talented two-year-old filly named Graskop.
"When we (Darley) bought Woodlands we moved Manton on, he wasn't the most popular horse at stud but hopefully this filly kicks him along a bit," Darley managing director Henry Plumptre said.
Graskop was heavily backed to win the Premier Signs Plate (1000m) and eventually scored by three-quarters of a length in a determined performance.
"She's obviously shown Peter (Snowden) a fair bit at home and it was a nice debut," Plumptre said.