Hammond produced a superb ride to score the eighth winner of her career aboard Lika Swift at Kilmore.
The talented hoop has built a great affinity with the son of Swift Alliance, who is trained by her boss Gwenda Johnstone.
Lika Swift was the first leg of Hammond’s now famous Echuca Cup Day double in March and like that day, conjured the best out of the promising four-year-old gelding.
Hammond oozed confidence as she allowed Lika Swift to travel into the race coming in the home turn.
The pair gradually made their way to the outside fence which was the superior ground and powered home with Lika Swift prevailing by 1 3/4 lengths.
“He was great today,” a delighted Hammond said post-race.
The striking grey has now won two of his seven career starts with a solid third behind Lounge Bar Rubi at Kilmore on March 30 sandwiched between the two victories.
That Lounge Bar Rubi form looks even better after that galloper, trained by Mark and Levi Kavanagh, headed across the border to Adelaide and defeated the emerging Chicago Storm at Morphettville on Saturday.
Back to Lika Swift, who has a raft of owners including Gwenda and Mick Johnstone, Troy Murphy and Echuca Racing Club manager Garry Armstrong.
The success made it three winners in the space of a week for Hammond, who rode a double on Kerang Cup Day the previous Saturday.
Not only is Hammond flying, so too the Johnstone stable.
Impending Shadow ran a determined second behind the impressive Katering in a $27,000 Rating 64 Handicap at Bendigo last Tuesday.
Keep Mutsuhito in your blackbooks as he ran a nice fourth in a 1600m maiden at Bendigo on the same day.
The Written Tycoon gelding has had just the three starts for Johnstone, with plenty of merit despite missing out on the top three in each.
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