A flying finish saw favourite Friday At Five storm home to overhaul rank outsider Jefferson in the 2024 bet365 Hanging Rock Cup on Australia Day.
The $30,000 Cup capped off a successful day’s racing for Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club, which has its annual Woodend Cup meeting at Kyneton this Saturday.
Heavy rain on Thursday evening abated, and the large crowd attended the Hanging Rock meeting in fine weather conditions, with the track rated a heavy 8.
Racing club president Gary O’Meara and general manager Jon Dight both anticipated the attendance was well up on the New Year’s Day meeting.
Some omen punters looking for a winner may have supported Friday At Five, as it was 4.46pm on Friday when the $30,000 Cup race started. Scratchings of well-credentialed Bannerton and Char reduced the field to eight runners, with Friday At Five starting as a $2.40 favourite, with the Liam Howley trained galloper Maluka second favourite.
Bottom weight Jefferson, ridden by apprentice Rose Hammond, led round the home turn in the 1800m event and looked likely to hold on before jockey Neil Farley brought Friday At Five down the outside with a withering run.
A photo-finish found that Friday At Five, trained at Ballarat by Henry Dwyer, had just won from Jefferson, with Crown Harmonium in third place.
Maluka never accelerated and finished sixth.
Farley was extremely pleased to win the Cup and continued his recent good strike rate.
Friday At Five is a five-year-old mare, and the Cup win was her fifth success from 20 starts.
DEEP CREEK CUP
For the first time, the Deep Creek Cup was run at Hanging Rock, with the 2400m supported by farmers along the section of the Deep Creek from Romsey downstream to Chintin.
Topweight Dubai Moon, who had been unplaced at picnic races at Woolmai and Yea at his two recent runs, was well supported to win the 2400m event.
The six-year-old was taken to the front by Aaron Lynch and completely outstayed his rivals, winning by eight lengths.
Lynch, who rode five successive winners at the 2023 New Year’s Day meeting at ‘The Rock’ also won the first race on favourite Cable Town.
Dubia Moon is trained by Frankie Stockdale at Pakenham, and he pulled up so well he ran again on Saturday at Moe, and won again over 2400m.
In today’s racing it is extremely rare for gallopers to run on successive days, let alone win!
Topweight John Joseph, ridden by apprentice Luke Cartright and trained by Alex Rae, won the Jack Styring OAM Handicap carrying the colours of Assumption College.
Many of the large group of owners are former students of, or have connections with the famous Kilmore school.
The name of the four-year-old comes from John Joseph Corrigan, a Darraweit Guim resident who owned Killmaine – a winner at Hanging Rock an both New Year’s Day and Australia Day in 1981.
Paul Corrigan accepted the trophy, with John Joseph making it three wins from his last four starts.
Previously unraced three-year-old filly The Cast Off, won the Sign Obsession Maiden over 1600m, ridden by Laura Lafferty, for Bendigo trainer Toby Lake.
Hanging Rock Cup winner Friday At Five after the feature event. 
Trainer Alex Rae and rider Luke Cartwright – carrying the Assumption colours – after John Joseph won the Jack Styring OAM Handicap. 
Pictured (from left) at the Hanging Rock Cup meeting are Anthony Quigley – former president of Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club and director of Country Racing Victoria, Tim Eddy – Racing Victoria, K&HRRC president Gary O’Meara, Scott Whiteman – chief executive Country Racing Victoria, Mike Rowland – former president K&HRRC. They were pleased to welcome Professor Seung-Ho, from the Korean Racing Association, making his first visit to ‘Racing at The Rock’.
