Image – Racing Photography.
Gilgandra, at short notice, organised and hosted a race meeting on Saturday when Collarenebri was abandoned, and it was appropriate that a local trainer and jockey landed a winner.
Trained by Kieren Hazelton and ridden by James Rogers, Zamali ($6.50) led all the way to beat Alaskan Aura (Ken Dunbar, $4 favourite) and Jarmanagic (Wendy Peel, $8) in the 1200-metre Grant Zell and Family Benchmark 45 Handicap.
Dubbo trainers were off to a good start when the Cindy Monaghan-trained Friendly Sizzle won the opening event, the 800-metre Damows and More Maiden Handicap.
Friendly Sizzle is raced by media personality Tim Moses in partnership with Cindy Monaghan and Michael O’Brien, Colleen O’Brien and Alana O’Brien, who operate a hotel at Binnaway.
First up for Cindy Monaghan after six unplaced starts in Queensland, Friendly Sizzle (Wendy Peel, $3) raced outside the leader Kingzan, then worked clear to win from Play The Record (Shayleigh Ingelse, $6) and Cashmere Inn (Kelsey Lenton, $10).
Former jockey and now the trainer of 150 winners, Wangaratta-based Steve Cunningham won the 1000-metre Jason Tate Electrical Benchmark 58 Handicap with Westminster Abbe.
Ridden by the trainer’s niece, Sarah McDonough, the Victorian galloper ($5) led all the way to beat Juliette Street (Cobi Vitler, $7) and Hampton Cove (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $2.20 favourite).
Muswellbrook trainer Carlos Antonio supplied the quinella in the 1550-metre Western Farm Machinery BM 60 Handicap when the well-supported Damascus Gate (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $8 to $6) led by five lengths at one stage and held on to beat stablemate The Enzo (Jake Barrett, $4.60) and Hombre Grande (Cobi Vitler, $3.80) in a close finish where there was less than a length between the first six placegetters.
Formerly with the Brett Robb stable at Dubbo, talented apprentice Jake Barrett has transferred to the Barbara Joseph, Paul Jones and Matt Jones training partnership at Canberra; however, he was at Gilgandra to ride All I Have for Brett Robb.
Headed in the straight, All I Have ($4) fought back to win the 1200-metre Johnson’s Family Store Maiden Plate in a close finish from Deceptive (Clayton Gallagher, $3.50 fav.) and the fast-finishing Fresh Start (Shayleigh Ingelse, $5).
Coming from midfield, the Dar Lunn, Dubbo-trained Miss Twenty Two (Clayton Gallagher, $3.80) won the 1600 metres Jaryd Eason Welding & Engineering BM 50 Handicap from Golden Eclipse (Shayleigh Ingelse, $5.50) and Sulmaher (Kelsey Lenton, $17) which had taken the lead on the home turn.
Miss Twenty Two is owned by Guy Mitchell from Binnaway and Rob Pratten from Dubbo, who have several gallopers trained by Dar Lunn.
Central and Western Districts Racing action heads to Forbes on Saturday and Orange on Sunday.
