KYNETON trainer Mick Sell will pursue a third consecutive country cup with Treasure Map after a triumphant New Year’s Day at Burrumbeet.
Treasure Map landed his second cup within a week in the $20,000 Petrogas Regional Burrumbeet Cup, 1800m – following up his success at Penshurst on Boxing Day
Mel Sell, deputising for her husband who was with a team of stable runners at Hanging Rock, said Treasure Map would now go to the Hanging Rock Cup on Australia Day.
As well as the Penshurst and Burrumbeet Cups, Treasure Map also took out the Manangatang Cup earlier in the season.
In contrast to Manangatang, Treasure Map’s breeders and owners Ken and Deb Shewan were on hand at Burrumbeet to celebrate the success.
The Shewans live near Lancefield and while Treasure Map was racing at Manangatang, they were doing all they could to protecting their property from a bushfire.
Sell said Treasure Map had provided enormous fun for involved throughout his career.
The five-year-old now has six wins in 40 starts and stakes of more than $170,000.
As well as the Cup’s first prizemoney of $11,000 on Friday, Treasure Map also earned a $1250 bonus offered by the Burrumbeet Park and Windermere Racing Club if the cup winner had previously taken cup a cup this season.
Sell said running in the Burrumbeet Cup had been in planning for sometime.
“We looked at it about three months ago.”
She said they would probably also look at a 3000m race at Moonee Valley down the track with Treasure Map.
For Mt Gambier apprentice jockey Chelsea Jokic, the ride on Treasure Map rounded out a big week.
She also rode Treasure Map to victory in the Penshurst Cup in what was her first engagement for the Sell stable.
Mel Sell said Jokic had secured the ride at Penshurst by chance, with her mother putting in a call to Mick Sell.
And she is set to stay on board, having already been offered the ride in the Hanging Rock Cup.
Burrumbeet also completed a big two days for the 20-year-old, who has been riding for four years and is apprenticed her father Stefan Jokic.
She rode at Townsville in Northern Queensland on Thursday – landing one winner in seven rides to follow up a double at Penshurst.
Steep led the cup early, with Treasurer Map settling right up on the pace.
Jokic kept the gelding handy before easing out and sweeping up to the leaders going into the home turn.
Once he straightened Treasure Map quickly put the race beyond doubt.
He went away by more than a length from Bring Back, with Am I There Yet the first of the hometown contingent across the line in third position.
The Darren Weir-trained Purreal was sent out a firm favourite, but was never in the hunt.
Weir did not miss out all together though at Burrumbeet. He landed the money with Bentang in the T.B. White and Sons Maiden, 1800m.
The four-year-old was having his 10th race start and was saddled up by Weir’s Warrnambool stable foreman Jarrod McLean. McLean was also later in the winners’ circle with his own team.
Wee Mac saluted in The Stag Hotel Learmonth Benchmark52, 1000m. Nathan Punch took the ride in a day that apprentices won five of the seven races.
The eight-year-old raced outside the leader before bringing up his sixth career success in 62 race starts.
Penshurst form proved worth following for punters.
As well as Treasure Map coming off a Penshurst Cup win, Bentang and Wee Mac has finished second in starts at the Boxing Day meeting.
BURRUMBEET CUP
How they finished
1 Treasure Map (C Jokic)
2 Bring Back (H McKechnie)
3 Am I There Yet (S Thornton)
Then followed:
4 Lordoftheparrots
5 Purreal
6 Steep
Margins: 1.25len 0.5len