Six of the best

THAT expression might bring back some best-forgotten memories of school for some but for Oberon teenager Justin Reynolds, it has quite the opposite effect.

The Year 12 student, in the final stages of his HSC Trial examinations, notched up the sixth win of his brief driving career at last Wednesday’s Group One Feeds Paceway meeting, and after his performance received the Bathurst RSL Drive-of-the-Night award, he rated it as possibly his best.

He speared Master Benny, for Oberon trainer Wayne White, straight to the lead in the 2260 metres C1 class, and got away with a very pedestrian first half of 64.1 seconds before quickening just a little down the back straight and then brushing home in a 28.5s final quarter.

The mile rate of 2:04.9 was the slowest at the circuit in quite a long while, and a testament to the young driver’s confidence and poise.

Justin, who drives for his father David, grandfather Russell and now Wayne White, is a very conscientious and capable student who is hoping to study veterinary science when he completes his HSC.

He, along with Tom Finn, will receive an Encouragement Award at the Bathurst HRC Awards Night on October 13.

Ben Battle, also a relative newcomer to the driving ranks, enjoyed a win at his old “home” track when he brought Mammals Magic with a strong finish to take out a C0 sprint later in the programme.

The Bernie Hewitt-trained mare sat in the second half of the field before working home strongly in 57.7s for a dominant win, at just her second run from a long break.

Battle, who developed an interest in the sport through his parents’ friendship with former Bathurst identity Ken Davis, has graduated from working with Bernie Hewitt to handling his own small team of five or six down at Goulburn.

He keeps busy by working as a stablehand with one of the bigger galloping stables at Goulburn, and readily agrees that standardbreds are much more settled and easier to deal with than thoroughbreds.

Like his Oberon counterpart, Ben Battle is a modest, quietly-spoken individual who is making steady progress as a trainer-driver. Both are welcome additions to the very strong ranks of young participants in the western and southern regions.

Bathurst takes a break this week, but will double up with two meetings next week, on Wednesday 4th and Friday 6th, to coincide with Race Week at the famous Mt Panorama car-racing circuit.

One of the highlights of that week for the huge crowd that makes the annual pilgrimage to Bathurst is the Top Ten Shoot-Out, when individual time-trials over a lap of the mountain circuit determine the starting grid positions for the following day’s race.

This year, Bathurst HRC is following suit, in an initiative which should prove popular with followers of both types of horse-power.

At Wednesday’s meeting, time-trials will be conducted over 1200 metres, for the best 10 horses nominated, with the times determining the starting positions in a $12,000 race on Friday night.

A $350 appearance fee will be paid to each of the time-triallists, and trainers will get the chance to choose their barrier for the final, in order of their times from fastest to slowest.

The car-park and surrounds at the Paceway will again be fully occupied this year, with more than 100 motor homes booked in for Race Week.

And for those folk, and the large numbers who come down from the mountain to check out the horses, there’ll be two shoot-outs for the price of one!