THE Merton Amateur Turf Club was blessed with a good track and dry conditions for its annual New Year’s Day race meeting to provide outstanding action on the track which included some tight finishes and notable wins by jockeys Tracey Johnson from Euroa and Bendigo’s Craig Kirkpatrick.

Johnson was jubilant starting 2024 with back-to-back wins in races two and three, riding Low Level Flying and Swift Hit respectively.

The Kirkpatrick family was thrilled with their husband and father riding his fourth winner in the Elders Merton Cup aboard Willetts, an eight-year-old gelding trained by Aileen Vanderfeen also from Bendigo.

The six-race program provided plenty of action for the large holiday crowd that flocked to Merton for the club’s 159th meeting.

FINAL RESULTS:

R1 Lister Family Maiden Handicap 1150m

Class: Maiden, SW

1st 3. Elusive Rubi

T: Steven Noble J: Dylan Dean

2nd 1. Jimmy Can Tango

T: Saab Hasan J: Tyson Barton

3rd 2. Some Eclipse

T: Ron Hockley J: Tracey Johnson

Final Results

R2 Oakdale Meat Trophy Race 1150m

1st 4. Low Level Flying

T: Ron Hockley J: Tracey Johnson

2nd 2. Moshkenny

T: Gary Cluning J: Jack Virgona

3rd 6. Wilma Wombat

T: Don Dwyer J: Shaun Cooper

R3 Bet 365 Open Trophy 1150m.

1st 1. Swift Hit

T: Peter Smith J: Tracey Johnson

2nd 2. Steady Jam

T: Don Dwyer J: Shaun Cooper

R4 Malcolm Lugg Memorial Plate 1900m

1st 1. Alternate

T: Saab Hasan J: Tyson Barton

2nd 7. Jazzamatazz

T: Aileen Vanderfeen J: Craig Kirkpatrick

3rd 5. Siding

T: Reg Manning J: Ben Moffat

R5 Elders Merton Cup 1900m

1st 2. Willetts

T: Aileen Vanderfeen J: Craig Kirkpatrick

2nd 3. All Too Creedy

T: Don Dwyer J: Shaun Cooper

3rd 4. Anything But

T: Reg Manning J: Dylan Dean

R6 Yarck Hotel Trophy Race 1600m

1st 3. Smart Ace

T: Don Dwyer J: Shaun Cooper

2nd 1. Understated

T: Peter Foster J: Leigh Taylor

3rd 2. Laststrikeyourout

T: Nicole Dickson J: Maddison Morris