Bill West
A winning double at Benalla followed by a winner at Yarra Valley last week signalled good things to come for Tylden-based Salanitri Racing and the Hirsch Park training complex in 2023.
John Salanitri has been training for prominent businessman and owner-breeder for more than two decades, and the move to Tylden from Caulfield a couple of years ago is yielding dividends.
At the first Benalla meeting for 2023 Salanitri landed a double with Midnight Glow and Pocket Change.
Ridden by Dean Holland, Midnight Glow started as an odds-on favourite and won a 1608m Maiden with Dean Holland aboard.
Later in the meeting, four-year-old gelding Pocket Change ($3) scored his third race win for Salanitri and Hirsch when Madison Lloyd rode him perfectly in a BM64 race over 1406m.
Pocket Change has now earned over $109,000 in stakes.
Midnight Glow stepped up to 2000m at Flemington on Saturday and finished well for third place as one of the outsiders of the field.
FIRST-UP PERFORMANCE
In her second preparation, Harper Rae won impressively at Yarra Valley in a Fillies and Mares Maiden over 1200m last week.
It was a good performance to have the filly in good order after 25 weeks off the racing scene.
Alana Kelly positioned the $3.70 chance well from barrier one, and she had 0.75 lengths to spare at the finish.
After the race, racing manager Frank Salanitri predicted Harper Rae would be further improved by the run.
With such a large string of horses available it would be no surprise to see Salanitri Racing to the fore in further races this year.
