After Black Caviar destroyed her rivals in the 2011 Lightning Stakes this afternoon, the next race on the Flemington card was the $75,000 Henry Bucks Best Dressed Handicap (1400m) won by Peter Snowden-trained Offenders.
Starting the favourite in the market, Canny Lad gelding Offenders was resuming after a five week spell before which he ran second in the Listed Manifold Stakes over 1400m at Flemington.
Mark Kavanagh’s Imperial Command had the early running from the inside barrier leading the Henry Bucks Handicap field early on.
Soon after it was the Robert Smerdon-trained Barwon Express who hit the front while Rockpecker ridden by Craig Williams settled into second.
Coming around the turn for home Barwon Express was still the leader, but on the straight the back runners began their assault with the likes of Eraset, Niblicks and eventual winner Offenders who had travelled well throughout ridden by Mark Zahra moving up to challenge.
In the final few hundred metres Offenders hit the front and pulled away to win by a length and a half over Robert Hickmott’s Niblick who ran on well.
Finishing off the trifecta was unlucky third placegetter Eraset, the Danny O’Brien-trained Reset gelding getting blocked by Rockpecker on the straight and stopping them from finishing closer.
It was a good first-up run for Eraset in their first appearance since Emirates Stakes Day last spring.
Five-year-old Offenders has now won five of their 21 career starts for over $270,000 in prize money.
There is one final race left on the Lightning Stakes Day card for 2011, with Flemington Race 8 the $70,000 Gurner’s Lane Handicap (1700m) due to bring things to a close at 5:30pm (AEDST).
Check the odds out at Luxbet now and give yourself another chance to enjoy a win this Saturday.
2011 Henry Bucks Best Dressed Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9 | OFFENDERS(6) | Mark Zahra | Peter Snowden | 54.0 | 1-23.89 |
| 2nd | 12 | NIBLICK(10) | Nicholas Hall | Robert Hickmott | 53.5 | 1.3L |
| 3rd | 8 | ERASET(2) | Glen Boss | Danny O’Brien | 54.0 | 2.5L |
| 4th | 7 | NIWOT(8) | Dwayne Dunn | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 54.5 | 2.6L |
| 5th | 4 | EXTRA ZERO(9) | Steven Arnold | David Hayes | 56.0 | 2.9L |
| 6th | 13 | IMPERIAL COMMAND(1) | Glyn Schofield | Mark Kavanagh | 53.5 | 3.2L |
| 7th | 2 | ROCKPECKER(3) | Craig Williams | Ken Fythe | 58.0 | 4.0L |
| 8th | 14 | DANDY DOLLAR(4) | Michael Walker | Rick Hore-Lacy | 53.5 | 4.5L |
| 9th | 6 | SHAMOLINE WARRIOR(11) | Michael Rodd | Mark Kavanagh | 55.5 | 4.8L |
| 10th | 5 | BARWON EXPRESS(7) | Jack Hill(a2) | Robert Smerdon | 53.5 | 5.5L |
| 11th | 10 | DE FINE LAGO(5) | Damien Oliver | Tony Vasil | 54.0 | 7.5L |
| 12th | 3 | SHADOWAYS(12) | Brad Rawiller | Gwenda Johnstone | 56.5 | 27.5L |
| Src | 1 | BUCCELLATI | Jake Noonan(a2) | Tony Noonan | ||
| Src | 11 | MILES ABOVE | Luke Nolen | Denis Daffy |
