Simply Xtravagant remained unbeaten at the last five starts after winning the $37,000 QUBE Logistics Cotton Cup over 1600m on Sunday at Warren.
The winning run for the Brett Robb, Dubbo-trained four-year-old mare commenced with a Class 1 Handicap at Dubbo, followed by Dubbo, Coonamble, Coonabarabran and then Warren at the first attempt in Open company.
When trained in Victoria, Simply Xtravagant had one win from eight starts and, since moving to the Robb stable, has only been beaten once, when a first-up third at Narromine.
Osman established a four-length lead in the Cotton Cup with Simply Xtravagant following Watch Me Rumble and Yak in the ten-horse field.
Clayton Gallagher timed his run perfectly, and Simply Xtravagant ($3 favourite) finished gamely to win by almost a length from Titled Tycoon (Chelsea Hillier, $3.50) and Osman (Ronald Simpson, $4.80).
With an excellent record of seven wins and 14 placings, the Brett Robb trained seven-year-old mare Moetta won the 1200m Matt’s Mates Warren Jockey Club Sprint with apprentice Dakota Gillett in the saddle.
Formerly from Alice Springs, Dakota Gillett is the daughter of Terry Gillett, a long-time successful jockey and trainer in the Northern Territory.
Sharing the lead on the home turn, Moetta ($4.20) kicked clear to win by nearly two lengths from Sea Of Flames (Shayleigh Ingelse, $18) and Beauchamp (Zoe Hunt, $7).
The first leg of a winning treble for Brett Robb came in the 1400m Hutcheon & Pearce Super Maiden Plate when Bliss (Clayton Gallagher, $3.90 to $3.30 fav.) sprinted to a comfortable win over the strong finishing World Atlas (Shayleigh Ingelse, $31) and Sports Page (Wendy Peel, $11).
Now apprenticed to Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm after coming from the Greg Hickman stable at Warwick Farm, Zoe Hunt took a rails run on the Lundholm-trained Majestic Wings ($26) to win the 1400m B & D Brouff Excavation Benchmark 58 Handicap from Turnaway (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $4.80) and Luna Eagle (Clayton Gallagher, $3 fav.).
Zoe Hunt, who recently outrode her 4kg allowance, had also won on Majestic Wings at the recent Mudgee meeting.
At only the third start in a race, the five-year-old gelding Gecko Coin was an impressive winner of the 1000m Dwyers Transport & Nutrien Ag Maiden Handicap for Narromine trainer Kylie Kennedy.
Rushing down the outside from near the back of the big field, Gecko Coin (Heavelon Van Der Hoven, $7) beat Independent Scoop (Andrew Banks, $31) and Violet And Blue (Mathew Cahill, $13).
Starting a $31 outsider, the Kieren Hazelton, Gilgandra-trained Order Of Merit (Jake Barrett) upset the favourites when reeling in Rockin’ Edition (Ken Dunbar, $2.60 fav) and Deion (Clayton Gallagher, $3.10 to $2.70) to win the 1000m Halcroft & Bennett Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Likewise, the Douglas Fernando, Moree-trained Lady Cornelia (Chelsea Hillier), as a $16 outsider, won the 1600m Macquarie Toyota Class 2 Handicap while the Connie Greig, Dubbo-trained Celtic Harp (Ronald Simpson) was switched around the leader’s heels close to home to win the 1200m Queensland Cotton Class 3 Handicap as a $9 chance.
Warren will next race with the Nutrien AG Solutions Twilight TAB meeting on Friday, December 15.
Meanwhile, Bathurst races on Saturday and Wellington on Sunday.
Prisk lands Brroken Hill win
Cobar trainer Wayne Prisk had success at the Broken Hill Silver City meeting on Saturday when his seven-year-old gelding Sun Master won the 1600m Southern Cross Austereo Class 2 Handicap.
Starting the $21 rank outsider, Sun Master (Caitlin Tootell) won by almost four lengths from On Bail (Robert Beattie, $4.20) and Rockford Files (Sairyn Fawke, $4.20).
Winning rider Caitlin Tootell is the daughter of veteran jockey David Tootell, who rode Vo Rogue when the late Vic Rail first took his champion stayer from Queensland to Victoria.
In those days, David Tootell was a much-in-demand jockey. When he later had commitments to ride another champion horse, Cyril Small became the regular jockey for Vo Rogue, the winner of multiple major races.
The most recent ride for David Tootell was when aged 61, he suffered severe injuries in a race fall at Port Augusta in South Australia in May 2023.
