3 minute read
Jacob Opperman started 2022 in style with a metropolitan double at Murray Bridge on Saturday.
South Australia's leading apprentice enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve at home with family after winning at Warrnambool earlier in the day for the David Brideoake stable before teaming with Victorian trainer Patrick Payne and Kym Hann for Murray Bridge success on Saturday.
Bea Tempted brought her solid Victorian form over the border and won convincingly while Our Destrier was unwanted by punters before saluting $17.
Opperman was back in the winner stall at Terang on Sunday when Rose Tiara scored her first since joining the Belinda O'Loughlin stable at Terang when she blitzed rivals by six lengths.
The Gary and Nicole Searle and Briana Callanan stable turned around a tough end to 2021 when Heka Express made it two wins from three starts since coming to SA at Murray Bridge.
Nicole Searle suffered a bad foot injury on the previous Wednesday after an incident with the horse float, just weeks after a knee reconstruction, before Heka Express help ease the pain with her dominant 3.2 length win with an in-form Ellis Wong in the saddle.
Talented sprinter Appalachian made it two wins on the bounce when he defied the Searle/Callanan stable a double holding off Kishstar, Tony and Calvin McEvoy's Spectacle score one of the more deceiving wins to the eye when she held off Point Blaze in a driving finish before Lianne won impressively first-up in SA for the Jordan Frew stable.
AT Port Lincoln on Friday Kayla Crowther, Angus Chung and Claudia Lions all shared riding honours with a double while apprentice Stacey Callow landed her second race win aboard Alsamenu at a big price early in the day.
