Uncle John played a starring role in both western districts meetings over the weekend, at Bathurst on Friday evening and up the road at neighbouring Blayney on Sunday. Mat Rue, Bathurst’s leading reinsman this season, drove the four-year-old in Friday’s C1-C2 Star-Trek Final, but a draw on the outside of the front row, and a hot field which included runaway Canola Cup winner Oh I Am The One NZ, saw Uncle John start at luxury odds of $20.50 .
Oh I Am The One worked hard early to find the lead, leaving Uncle John posted for the entire trip, and in a stirring struggle the length of the home straight, the Tell All four-year-old refused to surrender and held a half-neck margin over the odds-on favourite right when it counted.
This year’s race was sponsored by popular local Chris Frisby, through his Bedwells Feed Barn company, and as the owner/trainer of the winner, he solved the presentation dilemma by handing over the trophy to his wife Judy, who had very likely selected it in the first place.
After that, it was back to the sponsor’s function his family was hosting in the clubhouse, and squaring things away with his guests, who’d been told not to support his horse because it had no chance against the favourite. The smile on his face as he explained, suggested he wasn’t overly worried by this prospect!
The win of Uncle John was the middle leg of a treble for Mat Rue, successful also with Warner ($7.70, for Peter Trevor-Jones) in the Consolation, and with Lucy Lamb ($1.10 favourite, for his dad Ken) a runaway winner in C0 Mares class.
Nathan Hurst scored a driving double, with his own runner Tulhurst Courage ($5.10) in a C3-C5 sprint, and Buzzy Bowen ($1.70 favourite, for John Maguire), an easy winner in a C0-C1 sprint.
Other winners on what was an excellent night’s racing, before the best crowd so far this season, were:
Western Burner ($3.70,David Hewitt), third up since winning at the opening meeting of the track last year;
Lochinver NZ ($3.60, Ashlee Siejka), last year’s Treuer winner finishing right over his rivals in the fast-class sprint;
Athol’s Last Safari ($27.80, Josh Powderly/Jason Grimson), via the sprint lane in an exciting four-horse finish to a C0 sprint;
Mahkooloo Lazarus (1.60 favourite, Steve Turnbull ), continuing his good trial form to score on debut in a C0 sprint.
Following an R&R day in his Georges Plains paddock on Saturday, Uncle John headed up the road to Blayney for Sunday’s restricted-class meeting, in order to qualify for a $7,000 final to be run at the Blayney Carnival of Cups meeting on November 22.
His win – not without a scare in the straight from Our Lansdowne Road, which had trailed him throughout – completed an uncommon weekend double, but more significantly, it completed a quartet of wins for Emma Turnbull in the last four races of the meeting.
Her mother Wendy provided the earlier three – Old Jack Cambo(named for Graeme Campbell’s octogenarian dad), Postal Express and a resuming Likeallofus – and Emma proved a most able replacement for Mat Rue, who was en route to Christchurch to take in New Zealand Cup week.
Emma has driven four winners at a meeting on one previous occasion, some years ago, and was delighted by her repeat performance, and by the warm congratulations of the Blayney crowd.
As for Uncle John? He didn’t appear fazed by the fuss. Just all in day’s work, really. He’ll be back in action, and very likely in the same winners’ circle, come Carnival of Cups day on Sunday week.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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