Winning Horse: Honey Esprit (Aus)

5yoM Bel Esprit (Aus) - Ocran (Aus)(Picnicker (Aus))

24 starts - 6 wins 2 seconds 2 thirds 3 fourths $262240

Other Wins

1st Sale Maffra Comm. Sports Club-Bm70 1400m (2020)

1st Sandown-Hillside Ladbrokes (Bm70) 1300m (2020)

1st Pakenham Park Ontoit Global (Bm70) 1400m (2019)

1st Warrnambool Silvan Ridge Futurity (Bm70) 1400m (2018)

1st Warrnambool Pearsons Nursery Mdn 1300m (2018)

Other Placings

2nd Moonee Valley Bertocchi Magical Kingdom-Bm64 1200m (2018)

2nd Caulfield Rod Fenwick (Bm78) 1440m (2018)

3rd Sale Sale Signtorque Mdn Plate 1205m (2018)

3rd Moe Cme Security Mdn Plate 1017m (2017) (Debut Run)

Race Result:

1st: Honey Esprit (J Childs/C McDonald) - $41
2nd: Holbein (L King/S Richards) - $7
3rd: Never Again (J McNeil/C McDonald) - $6.50

Winning Time: 1:23.70 Last 600m: 34.78

Margins: ½ Head x Long Neck

Winning Trainer: Clinton McDonald

“She’s a mare that can really gallop but if she was a human she’d be a serial killer. She’s just a pest in everything that she does. When she turns up and relaxes like that and races well, and gets into a good breathing pattern, she’s very hard to get past. She’s sort of shown that.

“I don’t know. Some days she wasn’t to come to the races and run and other days she doesn’t. Typical woman.

On maybe a bit of give in the ground making a difference: “ I’m not going to sit here and say yes because there is deadset no rule. When she’s switched on and she races like she did today she’s hard to beat.

“Great ride by Jordan Childs and I have to thank the staff. She’s not easy to deal with and a job well done.”

Winning Jockey: Jordan Childs

On a fortunate pick up ride: “It’s good. It’s always the way with a pick up ride and you get the chocolates. It was good to get a winner for Clint.

“She’s a horse that goes forward. You’ve got to kid to her for as long as you can but I was able to get a nice lead in front, roll along at a nice tempo. She was very tough to the line.

“I think Clint has got her going well and she was nice and fit for today.

On picking up the ride while Noel Callow went to Casterton: “I’ve seen him punch home a couple of winners already so as much as he’d like to be here he’s doing alright there.”

Wayne Hawkes on unplaced Mount Popa: “Should’ve won. Was squeezed at the start and should’ve improved when there was space on the rail. Not a bad effort first-up. There’s another race somewhere. He’s a restricted horse but he’ll improve.”