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Infer wins at stable debut

Toby Lake

THE stables willingness to travel took the team 280-kilometres northeast on Saturday when Don’tcallmechamp continued the teams good run of form to score.The victory marked four winners in a tick over three weeks with Wodonga the latest successful venue as well as Deniliquin and Albury, showing the team will go anywhere to best place our horses.A relatively new addition to the stable, Don’tcallmechamp has now won two of his six starts since arriving in Bendigo and in his latest win stretched his to 1600 metres.Having closed off well in his two prior runs this preparation, a good barrier draw and ability to hold a position from that gate saw the four-year-old son of Overshare take up the lead and control the event to win by a length.With potential scope to get out over further, the team is confident it won’t be the last time we see Don’tcallmechamp in the winners stall.The victory was also the second in as many weeks by Will Gordon also leading all the way aboard to Eire to the Jungle.With a team of horses jumping out at Bendigo on Tuesday and others ready to return to the races this weekend, the stable is optimistic there’s more winners to be had as we enter winter and round out the current season.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.racing.com/form/2026-05-16/picklebet-park-wodonga/race/6">WATCH: Click here to view race replay</a> Congratulations to the connections of Don'tcallmechamp:&nbsp;H Fyffe, M Fitzpatrick, K Cini, X Thompson, S Wilkins, P Mercuri, D Cobden &amp; R Gore

Champ delivers four wins in 3½ weeks

MONDAY'S maiden win of Eire to the Jungle had certainly been a long time coming, not just because it was 14 starts in the making but especially for his owner Jack Lyons. Jack, president of the Bendigo Jockey Club, bred the five-year-old son of Jungle Ruler with his late father Barry, having also raced his mother Love You Sometime who was an eight-time winner herself. While a much-deserved win always looked inevitable given his consistency, that was all thrown off course midway through last year when a bout of colic threatened to take his life. &ldquo;This horse he should have died, he got colic and was in hospital for about a week and thankfully he made it through and might be all the tougher for it,&rdquo; Toby Lake said. With 10 months on the sidelines, Eire to the Jungle had returned with three typical honest runs building fitness this preparation but the stable was always keen to find him rain effected ground. The strategy worked and on the quick-back up and Will Gordon leading from the front, his first start on heavy ground saw him dominate and swim through conditions for a comfortable 1.75-length victory. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been waiting for a wet track for a long time,&rdquo; Lake explained. &ldquo;I remember growing up watching the races every winter and Jungle Ruler would string a few together in town on wet ground. &ldquo;There will be plenty of options for him moving forward and we will just follow the rain.&rdquo; Eire to the Jungle is the only progeny of Jungle Ruler to make it to the races from his year of limited foals. He was trained by Peter White and raced 115 times winning 20 races &ndash; 17 of them on rain effected going. The victory was a third in 12 days for the stable and it won&rsquo;t be the last for Eire to the Jungle who will enjoy racing in the winter months. <a href="https://www.racing.com/form/2026-05-04/bet365-park-kilmore/race/4/results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Click here to view the race replay</a> Congratulations to the connections of Eire to the Jungle: Jack Lyons

Jungle's tough fight back for Lyons

DEDICATION to find the right races paid off last week when Lake Racing enjoyed a double travelling over the New South Wales border. Last Thursday it was a 550km roadtrip to Albury where Holly&rsquo;s Star scored an impressive last-to-first victory over 2000 metres. It was then back over the border on Saturday, this time to Deniliquin, where Kgalagadi delivered a dominant all-the-way maiden win in track record time. The Manangatang Cup winner Holly&rsquo;s Star registered a much deserved second win since joining our team having been a model of consistency since paying $18,000 for the maiden winner last July. After a forgivable performance in the Marong Cup, she hit straight back to form and relished a strong 2000 metre tempo under an expert steer from Blaike McDougall. The win took her earnings to over $45,000 in her 10 race starts and she has enjoyed being kept fresh between races with the team at Nunkeri Park. Holly&rsquo;s Star appears to be in great order and will again find herself tackling the country cups circuit later this season. 48-hours later and it was Kgalagadi&rsquo;s time to shine who did it in polar opposite fashion &ndash; leading every step of the way over 1000 metres at Deniliquin. One of the stables first yearling purchases for just $6,000, &lsquo;Flash&rsquo; and Chelsea Taylor used his customary early speed to run his rivals off their legs and never looked in doubt winning by over three-lengths. The speedy son of Snippetson never looked in doubt and even broke the track record at just his third start clocking 58.04 for the 1000 metres. It was great to see the progeny of Scenic Charm, who is named after the scenic National Park in South Africa, live up to his promise he had showed on the training track. He looks to have a handy future placed well with the pace he possesses. <img src="https://www.prism.horse/api/public/image/2bf2a2c378c9430da212e9313ffce50e.jpg" alt="" height="283" /> Congratulations to the connections of Holly&rsquo;s Star and Kgalagadi: W Knights, D O'Bree, S Pigdon, Simanna Racing, J Archibald, Western Oval, A Sporle, N Sporle, Windy Hill, J Rielley, B Nally, T Medcalf, B Jamison, S Miller, Lakes Racing, J Jennings, C Jackson, B Sporle, S Lewis, D Schiavello, B Rogers, T Taarnby, J Wright, P Sinclair, J Williams &amp; J Waldron

Two wins over the border in 48 hours!

AFTER inspecting all 800-plus yearlings entered in the Melbourne Premier Sale there was one colt that was a clear standout and I was never leaving without this week. We had to wait patiently for three days until one of the very last lots of the entire sale and stretch the budget but I am delighted to say - WE GOT HIM! Lot 803 from Gilgai Farm, a colt by Ilovethiscity, was a BEAST, POWERHOUSE and WEAPON rolled into one! I went to $105,000 to secure him, the stables most expensive purchase ever, simply because I HAD TO HAVE HIM! <a href="https://www.lakeracing.com.au/ownership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to find out more about ownership opportunities in this outstanding colt</a> He is one of the most expensive progeny of his sire ever to be sold which speaks volumes to his conformation and how popular he was. If he was by a leading stallion he would have been a sales topper! You won't have to wait long as he is an August foal, bred to go early as a two-year-old and he is so strong he looks like he could race tomorrow! He is going to stand out in the mounting yard! They say you buy the horse you want to train and I simply love this colt and have so much confidence in him! Picture: A huge congratulations to 16yo Max Skillecorn who selected the colt as a weanling and did a magnificent job preparing him for the sale! A Great story to be apart of. WATCH: Ilovethiscity x Contamination Colt comes home with Lake Racing 
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1170252375" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Buy the horse you want to train!

A nine-hour road trip to Wagga paid dividends on Saturday when stable newcomer Don&rsquo;tcallmechamp won at his first start since joining the team. In search of the right kick-off option following an encouraging recent jump out, Blaike McDougall executed the ride perfectly over the 1200 metres with the gelding going on to score by a length with the blinkers applied first-up. No Bendigo-trained horse at won at the New South Wales venue in over nine years. The son of Overshare, who hadn&rsquo;t won since November 2024, was well supported and jumped favourite at $3.80. &ldquo;He was well placed and it worked out perfectly,&rdquo; McDougall said. &ldquo;He was too good, when I let him go he was raw and did a lot wrong still. &ldquo;But with his rating and well placed well I think you might have some fun with him.&rdquo; The son of Overshare looks like he will be best placed at sprinting trips with both his victories coming first-up at 1100 and 1200 metres. It was the stables third win since October from just limited runners which has also included five placings. Dont'callmechamp is the fourth tried horse to win at their first run for the new stable. Congratulations to the connections of Don&rsquo;t&rsquo;callmechamp:&nbsp;H Fyffe, M Fitzpatrick, K Cini, X Thompson, S Wilkins, P Mercuri, D Cobden &amp; R Gore

Cheers for Champ at stable debut

MIGHTY Mac showed he was a stayer on the rise saluting at Geelong on Friday at his first attempt beyond 2000 metres. The son of Exceedance had finished second at his last two outings since blinkers were applied and a step up to 2400 metres proved the winning formula going on to win by a neck under the urgings of Jack Hill. Part-owned by assistant trainer Jacob Rule, the four-year-old was astutely picked out for just $2,250 and has earned close to $35,000 in his short time in the stable. &ldquo;He looked a staying type that was slightly raced,&rdquo; Rule said of his purchase. &ldquo;He is very green and does a lot of things wrong but he has a bit of scope &ldquo;Hopefully he&rsquo;s now had a kill he can gain a bit of confidence from it and be on the right path.&rdquo; Mighty Mac has been narrowly defeated at Wangaratta on Melbourne Cup Day just ten days prior and was also runner-up at St Arnaud on Cox Plate Day. The victory of Mighty Mac broke a run of placings for the stable with four placings from the teams last seven runners. Congratulations to the connections of Mighty Mac: Jacob Rule

Mac hits scoreboard at Geelong

Courtesy of Winning Post A brilliant training performance by Bendigo&rsquo;s Toby Lake saw Holly&rsquo;s Star take last Saturday&rsquo;s Manangatang Cup, first up over 2000 metres at her first run for the stable. Lake employed a raft of gear changes, adding blinkers and pre-race earmuffs while removing the lugging bit. Despite most of the mare&rsquo;s better form being over longer distances, she started a well supported $6 chance. Given a patient ride by Rose Hammond, Holly&rsquo;s Star appreciated the fast tempo set by fellow Bendigo galloper Paltinian. Her staying ability came to the fore as she looped the field and dived late to get up in the final stride. The pace had been so fierce up front that Holly&rsquo;s Star broke the track record. The five-year-old Tosen Stardom mare has an abundance of stamina, as highlighted by a placing over 3000 metres at Mornington last preparation, when she was trained by Emma-Lee and David Browne. The St Arnaud Cup (2000m) on October 25 is the next logical stop for the mare ahead of staying contests over the summer months.

Holly's Star wins Manangatang Cup

STABLE star Fieldelo has been crowned the Bendigo Horse of the Year for the 2024-25 season at a function at the Bendigo Jockey Club on Saturday evening.
Fieldelo was also recognised as the best performing sprinter in Bendigo for her efforts under 1400 metres by a panel of judges &ndash; which included two victories and second placings at Flemington and in the Listed Lightning Stakes in Adelaide.
It was a proud moment for the stable in just the teams second season in operation and Toby joined his father Steven Lake on the honour roll as a winner of the award &ndash; having trained Master&rsquo;s Degree to be crowned Horse of the Year in 2013/14.
&ldquo;For a filly to have only had five starts and be recognised for her level of ability was very pleasing and I am sure the best is still ahead of her,&rdquo; Toby Lake said.
&ldquo;A big thank you to her owners managed by Mark Schiavello for allowing me to be patient with her which has helped her reach those heights already.&rdquo;
Having recently turned four, the daughter of Deep Field has recently returned to training with an eye to returning to the races in late October.
The stable also finished equal second on the Bendigo Trainers Premiership, while Dandruff was also recognised as a finalist for the Stayer of the Year after winning four races across the season.
Congratulations to the connections of Fieldelo: M Schiavello, D Willis, Deg Racing, D Schiavello, D Smith, S Sewell, M Zacharia, P Breden, D Sharp, T Nation, C Lester, J Williams, A Gold, D Savage &amp; D Houston

Fieldelo crowned Bendigo's best

DANRDRUFF enhanced his credentials as Lake Racing&rsquo;s most-winning racehorse after his fifth success following the Adrian Ledger Memorial at Albury last Friday. In what was the well-travelled gallopers second win in his last four starts at Albury, it has been a fruitful winter campaign for the son of Written Tycoon who has banked close to $40,000 in four runs with placings also at Morphettville and Wagga. John Kissick took the ride and came with a looping run around the field to score by 2.2-lenthgs over 2000 metres on the heavy 8 surface. It was a sentimental win for owner Jacob Rule, with the race named after the late Adrian Ledger who lost his life in a race fall in 2005. &ldquo;Chuffed to win the Adrian Ledger memorial at Albury with a horse that I part own,&rdquo; Rule said. &ldquo;When I was a kid in Wangaratta learning to ride trackwork &lsquo;Adi&rsquo; was the nicest bloke to me, I rode work with him on occasions and he looked out for me and always helped me out. It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve never forgotten. &ldquo;The Ledger family are the most amazing people and they have also been really good to me throughout my time growing up and also once I was race-riding. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s for you Adi.&rdquo; A stable favourite, Dandruff has now career earnings of over $117,000 in his 24 starts to date and is sure to continue to thrive throughout winter. <a href="https://racing.racingnsw.com.au/FreeFields/VideoResult.aspx?MeetDate=2025Jul18&amp;VenueCode=MjU0NTI=&amp;RaceNumber=2&amp;MeetingCategory=Professional&amp;VideoFileType=FullReplay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: Click here to view race replay</a> Congratulations to the connections of Dandruff:&nbsp;Smart Racing Stables &amp; Jacob Rule

Infer wins at stable debut

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