Winning Horse: Platini (Aus)

4yoG Charge Forward (Aus) - Trois Couleurs (Aus)(Carnegie (Ire))

7 starts - 3 wins 1 second 1 third 1 fourth $74155

Other Wins

1st Yarra Valley Bet365 Top Tote Plus Hcp (C1) 1209m (2021)

1st Pakenham Synthetic Apm Group Mdn Plate 1200m (2020)

Other Placings

3rd Bendigo Stay Safe Bendigo (Bm64) 1400m (2020)

2nd Sandown-Hillside John Gourley (Bm64) 1300m (2020)

Race Result:

1st: Platini (J Allen/M Ellerton & S Zahra) - $4

2nd: Magnavale (H Coffey/G Duryea) - $21
3rd: Zion (J McNeil/C Maher & D Eustace) - $3.50EF

Winning Time: 1:12.19 Last 600m: 34.20

Margins: 1¼L x ½L

Running Tally - Team
Metro	22
Country	38

Leading Jockey - progressive
Row Labels	Sum of Total
Dean Yendall	10
John Allen	8
Jamie Mott	8
Harry Coffey	7
Craig Williams	7
Jye McNeil	7
Damien Oliver	4
Madison Lloyd (a)	3
Damian Lane	3
Dean Holland	2
Jamie Kah	1

Winning Trainer: Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra (Simon Zahra interviewed)

“He’s a nice horse. He hurt himself after he placed here behind Microphone. It has taken us a fair while to get him back. He put the writing on the wall the other day at Yarra Valley. That tightened him up and this looked a nice race for him.

“He likes that sit and sprint and then Johnny just buffered his way out and he hit the line nicely. This’ll bring him on again. He’s obviously got a lot of ability and hopefully we can get a nice campaign into him.

On High ‘N’ Dry tomorrow: “He’s come back from a tendon (injury) a while ago and probably in career best form. He won’t mind the jar out of the track either so he looks well placed. If the track stays heavy then he’s placed (on that before) so it looks a nice race for him.”

Winning Jockey: John Allen

“Good to get on the board. Obviously I was on the right horse and had a pretty good run into it. Went pretty steady early and was probably anxious to get out into the open because we went so steady early. But once we got into top gear he sustained that run and was solid to the line.

“I think he could possibly step out over further. I’m sure there’s plenty of options for him.”

Is he a country or city boy: “I’m probably a country boy at heart. That’s where I’ve done most of my riding so very happy to represent them (country).

Kevin Sheedy - Country captain: “Some very good horses and jockeys coming up. Pagan’s a dangerous man when he’s looking defeat in the eyes.”

Having John Allen even though he’s an irishman: “Well I’m irish. And very proud of it. It’s in the family and I can understand him which is good. When he talks. I’ve been to Ireland a few times. The last time I was in Ireland we had the international rules and had 83,000 there. I learnt Irish that night, I can assure you.”

Denis Pagan - City captain - Poweplays in hand: “I hope so (they can make a difference). I’ve fallen for Kevin’s three-card trick a few times over the journey. All he’s been doing over the last few days is whinging and moaning about jockeys that he’d selected and said ‘I can’t win this’. Look at him now, he’s that far in front you couldn’t shoot him with a ‘202’.

“We’ve got our backs against the wall. We’ll just find out what we’re made of and if we can get off the deck then who knows what will happen.”

Madison Lloyd - Country team captain: “I only found out half an hour before the first race. Jack Hill, I’m pretty sure was the captain but he didn’t have anymore rides today because they were scratched.”