Geraldton Turf Club hosts bumper Ladies Day with a stellar turnout on and off the track

More than 3000 punters turned out in full force for Ladies Day, the first marquee event of the racing season at the Geraldton Turf Club on Sunday.

Fashions on the Field took centre stage off the track, as women dressed to the nines impressing judges and racing fans alike, with the winner’s sash awarded to Ashlee Auld.

The first runner-up was Christy Poulsen, and the second runner-up sash went to Candice Hatch.

On the track, punters were treated to a showstopping day, and the day’s main race, the Ladies Day Sprint was won out by Divine Inanna.

The Gingin horse trained by Meryl Hayley stormed home to pip Luckee Floran at the line after a strong race from the six-year-old mare, ridden by jockey Laqdar Ramoly, who finished with a double alongside fellow jockey Tash Faithful.

Hayley also finished with a double, with Master Alex winning race three with Ramoly aboard, while trainer Ashley Maley finished with two wins in partnership with Faithfull.

Ramoly gave Divine Inanna the best chance of winning the $35,000 sprint, starting strongly out of the gate with Willie Parker’s Luckee Floran and Allan Hughes’ Onemoretwomany.

The Hayley mare fell back into the middle of the pack as they rounded the last corner towards the home straight.

Ramoly seemed to be boxed in by Julia Martin’s Safe Hustle and Spirit Man, but the in-form hoop managed to find a way through and gave Divine Inanna the green light to finish strong.

And finish strong she did, pipping Luckee Floran and and Alby Bowtell’s Collective to deliver the Hayley stable the win.

Ramoly was tied for performer of the day with Faithfull.

Ramoly’s first win was in race three on Hayley’s Master Alex, who ran a similar race to stablemate Divine Inanna, exploding on the home straight to win by half a length from Bentley Beau.

The partnership between Faithfull and Maley was on full display once more after a successful showing last season.

Faithfull delivered the Maley stable their first win of the day in race two, with Hard Solo wining by three lengths from Adam Durrant’s Busy Fingers, ridden by Joey Azzopardi.

Faithfull then capped off her day with a second win for Maley in race seven with Pat’s Last Bang, who managed to hold off Julia Martin’s Mooniemia.

WINNERS’ LIST:

R1: BELVEDERE ROCK (T. B Newnham, J. J See)

R2: HARD SOLO (T. A Maley, J. T Faithfull)

R3: MASTER ALEX (T. M Hayley, J. L Ramoly)

R4: DEGRANHOMME (T. A Durrant, J. J Azzopardi)

R5: THEHORSEMAN (T. A Hughes, J. A Galati)

R6: DIVINE INANNA (T. M Hayley, J. L Ramply)

R7: PAT’S LAST BANG (T. A Maley, J. T Faithfull)