After the first three races of the Bendigo Athletic Club’s 2015 season were dominated by backmarkers Rhonda Schultz reversed the trend in the Vin Drechsler Memorial Handicap held at Woodvale on Sunday.  Running strongly from the front Rhonda was never headed and held on to win by 7 seconds from pre-race favourite Josh Sait.  Rhonda’s husband Richard lost the battle of the Schultz’s but still finished a creditable third.

As well as the $250 first prize in Race 4 Rhonda also claimed top spot in the Bendigo Original Pie Shop Ladies Award and the Flack Advisory Veterans Award.  Ingrid Douglass and Demi Goodall-Hoffman filled the places in the Ladies Award and Richard Schultz and Paul Bennett did the same in the Veterans.

Second place-getter Sait also took out the Bendigo Bank Fastest Time Award, recording 21:59 for the 6.5k distance, from Kyall Britten with Daniel Plowright third fastest.  Sait also took out this week’s Bridge Hotel Open age-group category from Kyall Britten, and the Liz and Mark Findlay U23 Award was taken out by Reza Azimi ahead of Michael Preece.

In the Children’s 1k Race Emma Gilligan dominated, finishing first and running the fastest time of 3:58.  Emma was followed home by the consistent Connor Findlay with first-timer Lachie Nelson third.

Bendigo Athletic Club’s next race will be held on Sunday, May 31 at Keith Noden’s property in the Whipstick Forest.  There will also be a children’s 1km race at 10am, with the main race again starting at 10.30am.