Trainer Ryan Darby is obviously enjoying good form of late, posting winner after winner each raceday. On Saturday last he continued to show his conditioning skills with a spanking double, Princess Shaneil (Paul Francis) and Fantabulous (Kuri Powell).

Princess Shaneil just lasted home in a bold front running effort while Fantabulous won in well measured race, which saw the four-year-old chestnut filly getting first run on Miracle Star (Dane Nelson) and then holding on for an emphatic victory in Overnight Allowance company. The double allowed Darby to reach 17 winners for the season, which put him in second-place behind champion trainer Wayne DaCosta (31) in the most win category. Both winners were for owners’ syndicate O’Shaun Connection. The win on Fantabulous must have been particularly pleasing for the trainer as only three starts prior to her engagement on Saturday, Fantabulous was racing at the top claiming level.

Finally, a win for Chadrick Budhai

The Devon Vanriel-trained Tatty’s Bad Gal provided jockey Chadrick Budhai with his first winner this season from 23 rides.

Budhai, who started riding at the Park in 2009, had to push out the six-year-old dark bay mare by Storm Craft-It’s In The Glove by Natural Selection to hold the late challenge of Patch A Fire, with Orlando Foster in the saddle going over 1,000 metres straight, for that well deserved victory. Budhai almost made it a double as the last race he sent Silent Storm into a commanding lead and looked all over a winner before Richard Mitchell on Above The Radar came with terrific stretch run to beat Silent Storm. This was a fantastic race to watch. Continue to do the hard work Mr Budhai as that is the only way the winners will come.

Deon Facey finds the winners’ enclosure

Trainer Deon Facey, who has been really finding it hard to saddle winners of late finally found the direction to the winners’ enclosure for the first time this year. His first winner came when the four-year-old maiden bay filly, Legal Girl, with Davidan Robinson in the saddle, came with a storming run to beat Mia Breyanna going over 1,200 metres. The win by Robinson continued his upward trend. He has now ridden four winners from 56 mounts this season.

Brown George makes it sweeter for trainer Markland

With a surprisingly disappointed run by the highly thought of Lady Shankari, who was simply not herself on the day, Brown George (Traditional-Economic Sensation by Star Attitude) seized the opportunity and romped to victory by over two lengths beating Excel and Delta Dawn.

Trained by O’Neil ‘Sweet Man’ Markland and ridden by two-time defending champion jockey Dane Nelson, Brown George also profited from the late withdrawal of Brussel Sprout. While it can be argued that the race became tailored made for Brown George the manner of victory was indicative of a horse on the rise with much scope for improvement. It must have been a sweet victory for trainer Markland who was notching his second winner of the year.