It was another outstanding week for Murray Bridge trainers, headlined by a memorable day at Thomas Farms Racecourse and a feature race double at Port Augusta Cup Day. Several local stables celebrated significant milestones, while Murray Bridge-trained horses once again dominated across the state.
Murray Bridge on Saturday (4 July):
Jessica Tzaferis opened the winners’ list in Race Two with an emotional victory as Tully Hart, ridden by Teagan Voorham, defeated Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray’s Tweeter, partnered by Tala Hutchinson, by 0.71 lengths.
The win carried extra significance for Tzaferis Racing, with Tully Hart becoming the first horse bred by the stable to win. The filly’s journey to the winner’s stall has been anything but straightforward. After a difficult “red bag” foaling that nearly claimed her life, Tully Hart spent two weeks in intensive care before making a full recovery.
Following the race, James Tzaferis reflected on the special victory. “It’s a special win. We dabble in breeding, this is the first winner that we’ve bred.” The emotional result was made even sweeter after the stable’s patience with the filly finally paid off.
Race Three saw Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray strike with Orlova, ridden by Tala Hutchinson, who proved too strong by 1.65 lengths. Garret Lynch’s Valued, partnered by Rochelle Milnes, finished second, while Mick Huxtable’s Ludina, ridden by Matthew Chadwick, filled third to give Murray Bridge trainers a clean sweep of the placings.
Sarah Rutten added another winner in Race Five as Petit Eagle, with Jason Holder aboard, held on to score by 0.4 lengths.
Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray completed a training double in Race Seven when Like A Drifter, again partnered by Tala Hutchinson, produced a dominant three-length victory, giving both the stable and Hutchinson a successful afternoon.
Roslyn Day rounded out the local winners in Race Nine as Riche D’Amour, ridden by Connor Murtagh, powered home to win by 2.36 lengths. Matthew Seyers’ Grand Host, with Todd Pannell aboard, finished second.
Port Augusta Cup Day on Sunday:
Garret Lynch enjoyed a memorable feature race day, preparing a winning double alongside jockey Stacey Metcalfe.
The pair combined in Race Six with Poetic Whisper, which scored by 0.81 lengths and provided Stacey Metcalfe with the 250th win of her riding career—a significant milestone for the accomplished hoop.
They weren’t finished there, backing up in the Port Augusta Cup with Romans Luck, which dug deep to claim the feature by 0.23 lengths. After settling into a fierce battle in the straight, Metcalfe had to “really work for it and knuckle down” to lift Romans Luck over the line, capping off a memorable day with both a career milestone and a Cup victory.
It was another exceptional weekend for Murray Bridge trainers, with winners spread across two meetings, a heartwarming breeding success story, a training double for Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray, a feature race double for Garret Lynch, and a career milestone for Stacey Metcalfe.
Winning Murray Bridge Trainers This Week:
- Jessica Tzaferis – Tully Hart (Murray Bridge R2)
- Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray – Orlova (Murray Bridge R3), Like A Drifter (Murray Bridge R7)
- Sarah Rutten – Petit Eagle (Murray Bridge R5)
- Roslyn Day – Riche D’Amour (Murray Bridge R9)
- Garret Lynch – Poetic Whisper (Port Augusta R6), Romans Luck (Port Augusta Cup R7)
Looking ahead, Murray Bridge is hosting races this Tuesday the 7th, an amendment after a downpour putting a halt to racing last Wednesday. Morphettville Parks will also be hosting races this Saturday, in place of Gawler & Barossa, facing similar issues. The week will then be rounded out with races at Mount Gambier on Sunday. Best of wishes to all our trainers in their endeavours.