Bodey’s fine form with favourites

By Gavin Staindl
TOP jockey Adam Bodey was the punters’ best friend on Saturday riding three favourites to victory on his way to another Pakenham Picnic Races treble.
The Pakenham jockey, based out of Kooweerup, claimed three of the opening four races including the Trevor Lineham Sprint dedicated to local racing legend, Trevor Lineham.
Bodey showed no signs of relinquishing his 10-year reign as Victoria’s best amateur jockey and said guiding Play of the Day to win the Trevor Lineham Sprint was the most meaningful win of the three.
“Trevor passed away a few years ago and he was a good mate of mine,” Bodey said.
“I would often take him around to races so it was good to win the race named after him,” he said.
Apart from a brief downpour during the third race, the dry and overcast conditions produced a track favouring the front-runners.
Recognising the pace in the good track, Bodey led Roman Match from start to finish to take out the 1000m Queen Restaurant maiden handicap.
He employed the same hard-running tactic to win the 1300m David Bourke Plate where he rode Jeune De Couer to an early lead before holding off a closing Hammer Trigger for the win.
Once again it was Pakenham trainer Tom Scanlon who benefited from the tough run.
It is the third time in five years that Scanlon has won the David Bourke Plate after he claimed the prestigious event in 2007 and 2009 with Distraction.
Despite this achievement, much of the attention was awarded to Sheza Ranga who became the first horse to win back-to-back Picnic Cups in the race’s 32-year history.
In what looked like a repeat of last year’s Picnic Cup Sheza Ranga led from the start and cruised to a comfortable win.
Ranked as an outsider in the six-horse race, the Cranbourne-trained mare jumped to an early lead where she held onto a two-length gap to finish ahead of second favourite Affinis.
Not even the $100 fine for premature celebrations could prevent jockey Leigh Taylor from smiling as he took out his third Picnic Cup in four years.
The Pakenham Racing Club’s next meeting will be the Cardinia Shire Kids Day Out this Saturday.