Top racing at Merton kicks off 2024.

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

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