Jubilant celebrations echoed across the Tasman Sea after Kiwi trainer Mark Walker’s horse Midnight Blue won the $200,000 Seymour Cup on Sunday, October 13.
The success, at odds of 20/1, capped a remarkable three days for the stable, which sent out four runners from Friday to Sunday — and all four saluted the judge.
The winning run began when Our Paramour broke her maiden at Cranbourne on Friday, October 11 before Bellatrix Star won the Group Two Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield the following day.
Then at Seymour, first starter Stage ’N’ Screen ran away with the day’s opening event before Midnight Blue recorded his seventh win.
The Seymour victory took the 2022 Perth Cup winner’s earnings past $900,000.
The runner-up in the cup was the Ciaron Maher-trained, Ethan Brown-ridden Earl Of Tyrone, with Maktoob, ridden by Liam Riordan and trained by Simon Zahra, in third.
The win was jockey Daniel Stackhouse's 26th of the season.
For the Seymour residents, there was also a lot to celebrate at their home meeting, with local trainers Lee and Shannon Hope taking out the Mitchelton Wines Maiden Plate with Glowing Rapids in a dominant performance under Jarrod Fry.