A four-year-old mare named Loveofmylife lit up the track at Lockhart Racecourse last Friday, storming home to win this year’s 2025 Lockhart Ex-Serviceman’s Club Verandah Town Cup in style.

Trained by Wangaratta’s Andrew Dale and expertly ridden by Leandro Ribeiro, Loveofmylife justified her $3.50 favouritism, powering through the 1400-metre feature race to salute the judge.

Loveofmylife jumped fairly well from the barrier and took up a position a few lengths behind the leader in the early stage of the race.

Coming off the final turn, Loveofmylife sat four wide and started to show a burst of speed.

Swooping out wide, she reeled in the eventual runner-up Altai Ranger, managing to just put her head in front as the finishing line loomed, to win by slightly more than a neck.

Loveofmylife’s career record now stands at three wins and one third placing from her nine starts.

It was a good day for Victorian-based trainers as cross-border raiders from Victorian stables won four of the races on the six-race card at the Lockhart Picnic Races.

Dale and Ribeiro completed a notable double after combining just one race earlier to win the 930m Bance Funeral Services and Bush and Campbell Accountants Open Trophy Handicap with six-year-old gelding Noci Di Cocco ($5.50).

Wangaratta trainer Steve Cunningham opened the meeting with a win in the first race, the Henderson Welding and Hydraulics and Hounsell and Sons Maiden Plate, run over 1200m, when jockey Sarah McDonough guided the five-year-old gelding and $1.80 favourite, Megaflash, to victory.

Forbes trainer Bill Hayes combined with jockey Leigh Taylor to record a quickfire race-to-race double in the second and third events on the card.

The six-year-old mare Savvy Statement ($6) won the first leg of the double in the Riv Oils and Lionel Western Memorial Conditional Picnic Handicap, run over 1200m.

The $3 favourite, four-year-old gelding Bitta Bon Magic, notched the second leg after winning the Friedleib Fox McLeod Solicitors and Delta Agribusiness Class B Handicap, run over 930m.

Another Wangaratta trainer, Dan McCarthy and jockey Henry Jaggard closed the meeting, winning the final event on the card, the Simon Lane Electrical and AJ Gallagher Class B Handicap, run over 1400m, with five-year-old gelding Not The Chops ($1.90).

During a great day of racing in front of an enthusiastic crowd, the spotlight belonged to Loveofmylife, who showed her class and left Lockhart racegoers with a cup victory to remember.