Saddle The Stars finished 2.5 lengths behind New Zealand jumper Lucky Tonight.

But he was more than six lengths in front of third placegetter King Of The Forest in the 3200-metre race.

Trainer Chris Ryan said he was excited with the prospect the nine-year-old would run in the iconic race at the three-day carnival.

“Saddle The Stars is still a maiden jumper,” Ryan said.

“It was his first steeplechase start on Sunday and he never let us down.

“He's run well at his three hurdle starts, but I always knew he would make a better ’chaser.

“He stays all day and likes it wet so that two attributes you need to run in an Annual. He's been in work for more than six months, with the Annual as our goal.

“His second placing on Sunday meant he met the ballot conditions for the race.”

Warrnambool-based jumps jockey Shane Jackson, who rode Saddle The Stars on Sunday, has been offered the ride in the Grand Annual. But the Irish-born Jackson is also considering the ride on Warrnambool-trained Deliberate in the 5500-metre race next Thursday.

“I'm not sure which way Shane will go with his decision,” Ryan said.

“Shane said he was impressed with the effort of Saddle The Stars but he's also got the offer of riding Deliberate in the Annual.

“At the end of the day Shane has to make the decision which horse he rides.”

Saddle The Stars – a $60,000 purchase at the Inglis 2009 Yearling Sales – took his stake earnings in jumps races to more than $17,000 with his second placing on Sunday.

KOROIT Football Netball Club has cancelled its annual Sports Lovers Night, normally held on the Tuesday night of the Warrnambool May Carnival.

Club president Maurice Molan said plans were already in place for the event to return in 2018.

“There a lot of things on the social calendar this year,” Molan said.

“The club is indebted to Adrian Gleeson for all the work he's done helping organise the Sport Lovers Night. Adrian is having his 50th birthday over the carnival, so we decided to have a gap year. We're already in discussions regarding a venue and headline acts for 2018.”

TRIALS will be held at Terang late in May as the racing club seeks approval to host jumping races again. The club has not staged jumps races for eight years but hopes to run a hurdle and steeplechase at its cup meeting next April.

THE introduction of blinkers helped the Mitch Freedman-trained Leishman win his maiden at Hamilton on Friday.

Leishman defeated Supreme Harmony and Original Artist in the 1400-metre race.

Freedman, who trains at Crossley, said Leishman was a fit horse who showed a liking for wet tracks.

“I've got to give credit to Leishman’s owners,” Freedman said.

“They have been very patient. I was really happy how Leishman went to the line.”

From four starts, Leishman has earnt more than $12,000 in stakemoney for his connections.

WARRNAMBOOL jockey Declan Bates was in the wars with stewards in Victoria on Friday and South Australia on Saturday.

Bates pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge at Hamilton. Stewards found Bates guilty after his ride on John Monash. His suspension started April 25 and ends May 1.

He was also suspended by South Australian stewards for three race days after his ride on the Darren Weir-trained Mrs Gardenia.

Stewards ordered that the suspension be served concurrently. 

Bates pleaded guilty to failing to seek the permission of stewards to leave the race course after his last engagement and was fined $200.

Apprentice jockey Luke Riordan was found guilty of a careless riding charge after his winning ride on Leishman at Hamilton.

Riordan’s suspension starts April 25 and ends on May 7.

Mount Gambier-based jockey Kate Walters had a bad day at Terang on Sunday.

Walters was suspended on a careless riding charge for seven meetings and fined $500 for a whip indiscretion.

CAMPERDOWN trained filly Aurora Rising is heading to the spelling paddock after her maiden victory in a 1400-metre race at Terang on Sunday.

Trainer Geoff Daffy said Aurora Rising had improved at each of her four starts.

“She deserves a break,” Daffy said.

“It was a good win on a very heavy track. She's just kept on improving.

“We think she’ll come back into work a stronger filly once she has a break. There's plenty of upside to her.”

Daffy was just one Western District trainer who purchased yearlings at the VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale in Melbourne on Sunday.

He paid $36,000 for a colt by Lucas Cranach.

Symon Wilde parted with $26,000 for a filly by Glass Harmonium and paid $18,000 for a filly by Skilled.

The average for the sale was $22,593, up from $16,957 in 2016.

The gross was $4,518,500, up from $3,968,750 last year.