Boxing Day delight for Albany pair Wolfe and Bayliss while jockeys share the spoils in Albany

Trainers Steve Wolfe and Rebecca Bayliss scored winning doubles at Albany’s Boxing Day meeting. In front of a huge crowd, Wolfe notched victories with Best Of The Gods and Divine Mercy and Bayliss was successful with Star In Time and Kohli. Jockeys Kyra Yuill, Peter Knuckey and Natasha Faithfull also had two victories each on the seven-race card at Percy Spencer Racecourse. Faithfull continued her strong start to the Great Southern season, booting home Divine Mercy in the W&R Mier & Panizza Handicap (1940m). Well supported into a $2.05 favourite, Divine Mercy settled fourth before sprinting home strongly to beat Feels Danish ($14) by half a length. The result was a second straight win for Divine Mercy, who has been placed twice and has two wins from four starts in the Great Southern in the 2023-24 season. It brought up the second leg of the Wolfe and Faithfull double after they combined earlier to win with Best Of The Gods. The Playing God three-year-old broke through at his fifth career start, leading all of the way in race one over 1240m. Best Of The Gods ($3.80) downed Rommeo ($8.50) by nearly one length while $2.05 favourite Win To Retire commenced awkwardly and finished in fourth place. Knuckey produced a dominant display on Pecos to win race two over 1500m, leading all of the way on the Paul Roberts-trained gelding. Pecos started $3.60 and was untroubled in front, beating home Pilbara Song by more than two lengths to break his maiden status. Knuckey then made it a race-to-race double after he guided Annihilator to victory in the W&R Property Sales Handicap (1500m). In the small field of six, Annihilator relished the 54.5kg weight and sat just off early leader That’s Funny Az before charging home in the final 200m to win by one length on the Jonathon Jachmann-trained gelding. Kohli made a slashing return to racing for Bayliss, lumping 63.5kg to win the final race over 1240m impressively. Yuill settled the six-year-old last with the big weight but they finished off brilliantly, to win by 1.1 lengths over Rocapozzene. The victory was the perfect display first-up after a 213-day spell for Kohli, who will head towards the Fitzpatrick Plate in Albany on Sunday week. Star In Time got her own way in front for Yuill, destroying their rivals in race five to win by nearly four lengths. Does He Know also led from start to finish to hand Albany trainer Samantha Shirley her first-ever winner. The four-year-old was well handled by apprentice Rosie Mahony to upset $2.60 favourite Lucky Landing in the Wellington & Reeves Boxing Day Bash (1100m). Jockey Joseph See was reprimanded for careless riding in race two and using his whip when his mount was showing no response and out of contention in race seven. Starlift had a senior rider embargo placed on it due to racing manners and trainer Jeremy Easthope was fined $50 for using the club colours in race three. Racing and Wagering WA stewards passed the Mt Barker track fit for racing, with the club to host its first meeting on Thursday. Frost Park was deemed unfit to race on for the first two scheduled meetings of the Mt Barker Turf Club season, both instead run in Albany. Mt Barker will host a seven-race card on Thursday, starting at 2.04pm.