TPG helps Yendall close in on 150
Prolific country hoop Dean Yendall edged within three wins of a season milestone with a treble at Echuca yesterday which included a strong win aboard the Danny O'Brien trained That's Pure Gold.
The former premiership-winning rider emerged from the meeting with a 100 percent strike rate, celebrating victory at his only three rides for the day.
It got the tireless horseman within two wins of 150 successes for the season, a milestone he achieved in his Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership-winning season of 2010/11 when piloting 150-1/2 winners owing to a dead-heat.
Yendall got the ball rolling in the fourth event at Echuca, scoring a last-stride victory aboard the Danny O’Brien-trained That’s Pure Gold in the $15,000 Border Inn Hotel Maiden Plate (1400m).
In was an impressive win by the daughter of Fastnet Rock who at just her second race start defied the early pattern to come from last on the turn to score the narrow victory.
"I didn't think she would get there, but it was a terrific effort as she did a bit wrong," Yendall said post race.
"She has good scope, I think she would get out to 1600m and even 2000m."
He followed up with a 5-1/4-length romp aboard the Ciaron Maher-trained Zalga in the 1Print.com.au Maiden Plate (2100m).
Yendall completed a winning hat-trick in Race 6 when he guided $1.90 favourite Up The Creek, who is prepared by Patrick Payne, to a resounding 2-3/4-length win in the sixth heat of the Betfair Murray Mallee Winter Stayers Series (1600m).
Yendall’s treble leaves his 10 wins short of his career-best season (2010/11) with nine days of the 2012/13 season remaining. He sits second on the Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership, 16 wins astern Brad Rawiller.
Yendall wasn’t the only member of the family to celebrate a winner at Echuca with wife Christine Puls also making a trip to the winner’s stall.
Puls partnered Sports Day to victory for Brian McKnight in the $15,000 Laser Electrical Echuca Moama Maiden Plate (1100m).
Story by Brad Bishop, to view full Racing Victoria story click here
Photo by Slickpix, to view Slickpix website click here