The bet365 Kyneton Cup produced the most exciting finish on the nine-event program staged by Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club last week.
Just when the well fancied and supported duo of Pacodali and Double You Tee were fighting out the finish of the $125,000 feature event, Midterm swooped down the middle of the track and got up in the last couple of strides.
Midterm, a seven-year-old imported galloper from the UK who spent time being trained at Lloyd Williams’ Macedon Lodge, transferred to Mick Cerchi and his son Luke at Flemington earlier this year.
It was Midterm’s fifth start for the Cerchi stable, and he started at double figure odds with the strong support for Pacodali and Double You Tee dominating betting.
Patrick Moloney rode the winner who carried 57.5kg, and did not panic when he was slightly slow out of the stalls. Midterm’s finishing burst at the end of 2000m tricked many onlookers who were watching the leaders.
Midterm has now chalked up prize-money of $423,440 from 24 starts.
Three scratchings meant the Cup had 10 starters from an original field of 13, and Pacodali led the field out with topweight of 62kg, and John Allen aboard.
Pacodili got to the front but his big weight told, and jockey Billy Egan must have through he had the cup won until Midterm arrived.
Moe Cup winner Gundown ran an even race to finish fourth.
At the presentation of trophies afterwards, racing club president Greg Janky said it was another successful Kyneton Cup meeting.
He congratulated the connections of the winner, and expressed the hope that the major sponsorship by bet365 would continue in future years.
Fortunately weather predictions for showers failed to eventuate, and the track rating was upgraded to Soft6 after the third race.
Many early racegoers at Kyneton were still talking about the sensational Melbourne Cup finish the previous day, with Vow and Declare — trained by Danny O’Brien and ridden by Craig Williams — scoring a victory for Aussies over the international gallopers.
The Danny O’Brien galloper November Dreaming started at prohibitive odds-on in the opening Maiden Plate over 1450m, and ridden by Linda Meech, won in good style after being runner-up at Morphettville and Seymour at her only two previous runs.
The winner paid $1.10 on the tote, one of the shortest priced winners at Kyneton on record.
