WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER, 2024
Another Cup for Meech Linda Meech has run Riot and Rose to glory to win her third Werribee Cup in four years Starting as one of the short favourites, the seven-year-old grey gelding finished ahead of Dashing and First Immortal. She said her winning strategy was “just to have him be comfortable early [as] he’s got a really good finish on him”. “He was probably the best horse in the race, so just to try and have a clear path to the winning post, and it worked out really well,“ Meech said. The winning jockey made special mention of trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. “A great feeling really, because Peter and Katherine have been big supporters of mine.” A family affair, Riot and Rose was strapped by Moody’s daughter and AFLW Carlton ruck Celine Moody. “It’s a great track this year and I have a lot of luck here, so I suppose that’s a reason to like it,” Meech said. Meech claimed victory on the backs of Starcaster in 2021 and Keats in 2023.
More pictures: Page 7
Winning jockey Linda Meech and trainer Katherine Coleman. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 448419_95
Help stop illegal netting The Werribee River Association (WRA) is calling on the community to be mindful of their fishing habits and stick to state regulations following several instances of illegal netting in the Werribee River. Nets that are not approved for inland waterway use by the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA), including mesh nets and opera house nets, can lead to the death of native wildlife and non-target species. Among those most at risk of entanglement and death are mammals such as the platypus and rakali (Australian otter).
WRA education manager Charlotte Williamson said it is not uncommon for multiple animals to be caught in a single net. “These creatures are mammals and need to surface regularly between dives to breathe. Nets can continue to present a hazard for years if left in the river,” she said. “Other river creatures such as turtles or diving birds like cormorants and grebes can also get entangled in nets and drown.” In 2018, seven platypus drowned in a single net. Ms Williamson explained the urgency of the matter for the species survival in the river. “Platypus face an uncertain future due to
loss of habitat, pollution, changes in water flow, litter and introduced predators,” she said. “Illegal nets are yet another unnecessary threat to their survival.” The VFA responded to a report of illegal netting in the Werribee River on Tuesday, November 19, in which a spokesperson said a late night patrol seized 22 bream, 22 mullet and an estuary perch. The WRA and VFA have several initiatives underway to tackle the issue of illegal netting and they want locals to get involved. The WRA works with community groups and schools throughout the catchment to
share information and education about the impacts of litter, fishing equipment and pollution on rivers and native species, and has educational resources available in languages other than English. Water and land managers, councils, scientists, fellow environmental organisations and volunteers from all ages and walks of life can get involved at www. werribeeriver.org.au Locals are discouraged from attempting to remove illegal nets if it is unsafe to do so, and can instead make a report to the VFA on 13 34 74, http://www.vfa.vic.gov.au/13FISH or via their social media pages. \
12720144-FR46-24
By Jaidyn Kennedy