Paul Egan
SOUTH Australian stayer Alcopop was the surprise winner of Sunday’s $110,000 Listed Sportingbet Kilmore Cup.
The Jake Stephens part-owned and trained six-year-old Jeune gelding, starting at $14, got up in the last stride to defeat race-leader Its Prince ($6) by a short head, with $3.80 race favourite Vivid Vixen a similar margin away third.
Ridden by the in-form Ben Melham, Alcopop was settled near the rear of the field until straightening where he was pulled out to the middle of the track and stormed home to get up in an exciting finish.
The gelding who started favourite in the 2009 Melbourne Cup after impressive wins in the Balaclava and JRA Cup at Moonee Valley followed by the Herbert Power Handicap at Caulfield, ended a 10-race drought in taking out the Kilmore Cup.
The emotional Strathalbyn trainer was thrilled with the win of his gelding who was stabled on course for a few days prior to the win.
“There’s been a lot of pressure with him so it’s good to see him come back to racing like that with a good, tough win,” Stephens said.
Alcopop, who has now won eight races with two minor placings earning in excess of $528,000 from 21 starts, will have his next run in the Group 1 Australian Cup on Saturday week.
It wouldn’t be Kilmore Cup day that locally-trained gallopers don’t salute.
Such was the case on Sunday when the training duo of Lee and Shannon Hope and Dale Schmitt saddled up winners on the nine-race program.
The Hopes were successful with the consistent Capitao ($4) in the Northern Fascia Maiden Plate (1600m).
The gelded son of Deputy Governor and Sweep The Seas had to survive a protest from the rider of the third-placed Our Damsel prior to correct weight.
Capitao was ridden by former Lee Hope apprentice Lucas Camilleri who has now settled back in Victoria after riding stints in New Zealand, and Western Australia where he won the Group 1 Railway Stakes and recently won the $251,000 Perth Magic Millions for two-year-olds aboard Western Fever.
Camilleri, now based in Melbourne, travels up to Kilmore and Seymour regularly to ride trackwork for the Hopes.
Capitao was having only his fourth start and is raced by local stable clients headed by Kilmore Racing Club board and life member Doug Weston and local resident Clive Smith.
Kilmore trainer Dale Schmitt and his son Daniel combined to take out the Betfair 0-78 Handicap (1100m) with Happy Angel ($3.60 favourite).
The four-year-daughter of Happy Giggle and Angel’s Wing narrowly defeated Belcino ($6) by a short head with Akihito ($8) a long neck third.
The mare has been racing in much better company recently which includes a third placing in the Listed Bow Mistress Stakes behind Lady Lynette at Hobart early last month.
Happy Angel has now had 18 starts for four wins and seven minor placings.
Kilmore resident Simon O’Donnell was on track to witness his OTI syndicate-owned Hold For Applause ($1.35 favourite) comfortably win the Hanson Cleaning Services Maiden Plate (1450m).
The New Zealand-bred Mick Kent-trained Thorn Park four-year-old mare was ridden by Brad Rawiller and defeated Auriegirl by 1½ lengths with Hisstar a further ($13) a further 3¼ lengths away third.
Hold For Applause has now had six starts for his win and two minor placings.
