MARTINO'S "GRANDE" LIKING FOR BONG BONG

SATURDAY: November 23, 2024: IT’S odds-on Fabio Martino will be back at Bong Bong next year!

The Hawkesbury trainer has visited the popular annual picnic meeting twice – and returned home a winner both times.

Martino scored with his debut Bong Bong winner Eliseo last year, and doubled up yesterday with lightly-raced three-year-old Grande Bellezza.

Having only her third start and jumping a $3.30 favorite, the daughter of Group 1 winner Brutal took the opening event, the Maiden Plate (1000m).

Martino’s filly was ridden by Wayne Wheatley and, ironically the runner-up Cubeacheck ($12) was partnered by Leandro Ribeiro, who won on Eliseo 12 months ago.

Grande Bellezza was a $3500 online buy in June last year, but did not begin her career until June this year.

She had two unplaced runs at Canterbury and Kembla Grange as a late two-year-old, and returned as a three-year-old to score first-up at Bong Bong.

“I didn’t initially plan to take her to Bong Bong,” Martino said today.

“But I really enjoyed my first time there last year, and it’s such a great day out that I thought we may as well try to win another race there.”

Martino became the 20th Hawkesbury trainer to enter the winning list this season – and had a special reason to celebrate getting off the mark.

“I have moved to a new complex not far from where I previously stabled my team,” he explained.

“I’ve got 25 boxes, and have room to take a couple more horses.”

Bong Bong aside, November has been a pretty good month for the young trainer.

The now retired Eliseo was also his first winner, at Canberra on November 25, 2022, in a Benchmark 60 Handicap (1000m) at $11.

. Fellow Hawkesbury trainer Wendy Haynes also was successful yesterday, at the TAB meeting at Orange.

She won her second race this season – and both have been with Threw, one of only two horses in her care.

Threw, ridden by apprentice Olivia Chambers, won the Benchmark 66 Handicap (2100m) as a $2.70 favorite.

Chambers kept him in close touch with the pacemaker Roman Hands ($18) throughout, and after taking the lead after straightening, the gelding clearly outstayed his rivals.

Chamers also won a Benchmark 50 Handicap (2000m) on Threw at Mudgee in September, and Hayes says the pair get on well.

“Maturity (Threw is now seven years of age) and meeting Olivia have been responsible for his good form this season,” Haynes said.

Chambers began riding Threw at the start of his current campaign in April, and has also been placed on three occasions on him.

Coincidentally, the gelding has been partnered by a female in all four career victories.

Jess Taylor was aboard in the gelding’s breakthrough at Queanbeyan in September last year, and Julia Presits (now training) won on him at Bathurst the following month.