It was “share the spoils” night at Bathurst last Wednesday, with seven individual trainers and six drivers enjoying success on the seven-race card. Todd McCarthy, a regular visitor in recent weeks as he chases the NSW Drivers premiership, scored the sole double, in the opening event and race four.
Buzzy Bowen ($1.90 favourite, for Eglinton trainer John McGuire) worked to the lead in the first lap of the 2260 metres C1-C3 opener, and the Flightpath gelding ran out an easy winner, to repeat his all-the-way effort of the previous week. Black Poles finished well for second, and Smokin Bopper held on well after a wide last lap.
Lorne Beach ($6.00, for Ashlee Siejka) also led throughout, in a 2260 metres C0 class, getting away with a comfortable first half before upping the ante with a 27.7 third quarter and then hanging on grimly by a head in a 29.0 final section as Sonny Studleigh charged along the sprint lane. The win might have maintained a reprieve for the richly-bred Somebeachsomewhere gelding, with his Oberon owner John Brien admitting that it was only his wife Denise’s intervention that had stalled his plan to sack the horse. John will no doubt be spotted having a quiet word or two to Lorne Beach, repeating that same intention, in the parade ring before the horse’s next start!
Satellite Ace ($6.70, David Reynolds/ Rob Nugent) was another Oberon pacer to bounce back from a lengthy losing run, when he scored a good win in race three, the 2260 metres fast class. It was the first win in 18 months for the eight-year-old, but he’d been racing without luck in recent weeks and the win came as no surprise. When leader and favourite So Kool Harry galloped mid-race, the field was badly disrupted, but it worked in favour of the eventual winner, which then settled much closer to the lead. Nugent made a lightning move to take the lead about 800 metres from home, and after looking as though he’d lost concentration in the straight, his horse held on from a fast-finishing Bundaburra and trailer Padabing Stride. Nugent’s initiative earned him the drive-of-the-night award from race caller Mitch Manners.
Other winners at the meeting were:
Go Scotty ( $8.20, Terry Powter/Jack Trainor, in a 2260 metres C1-C3 ), reeling off a sharp 56.1 last half to get up right on the line, for his third win in five runs this term;
Lawson’s Way ($89.00, Trent Rue, in a 2260 metres C1 conditioned class), whose previous win, back in May, was at $149.70 – surely punters won’t let this pair start at anything like those odds in future;
Stellagrey ($4.10, Steve Turnbull/ Nathan Hurst, in the only sprint race of the meeting, for C0-C1 class ), a very impressive effort after sitting in the death from her wide draw and seeing off her rivals with a 57.7 closing half;
Skirmish ($1.20 favourite, Peter Bullock/ Emma Turnbull, in 3C0-3C1 grade ), forced to work hard for the lead and looking a touch vulnerable turning in before displaying his customary stamina to draw away, and again impress his driver.
No racing at Bathurst this week, with all the focus on Blayney’s Carnival of Cups meeting this coming Sunday – the best traditions of country racing, at what is undoubtedly the prettiest racetrack you’re ever going to attend!
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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