The biggest crowd at Coonamble in recent years saw highly talented apprentice Anna Roper continue her comeback from serious injury when riding the final three winners, including the $75,000 Coonamble Cup on the Bjorn Baker-trained, Warwick Farm-based Hollywood Hero.
Thrown from her mount after the finish of a race at Muswellbrook last November, Roper resumed race riding in July at Kempsey.
The first of her Coonamble treble came aboard the Cameron Crockett-trained, Scone-based Rajnish in the 1200-metre Keady Family Showcase Crystal Sprint.
Taking the lead from Beauchamp in the straight, Rajnish ($4) held off the strong finishing Impact Star (Darryl McLellan, $9) by a half-length, with Beauchamp ( Jake Pracey-Holmes, $12) a length away third.
Fourth in the Dubbo Cup and third in the Bathurst Cup, the $4 favourite Hollywood Hero broke through to win the 1600 metres Geronimo Farm Equipment/New Holland Coonamble Showcase Cup, an eligibility race for the $3 million Big Dance at Randwick in November.
Notabadidea, Nieces And Nephews, Watch Me Rumble and Too Good To Be Tru were the leaders turning for home before Hollywood Hero (Anna Roper) from well back burst through the pack to win the Cup from Irish Kisses (Braith Nock, $6) and Strombus (Aaron Bullock, $4.20).
Apprenticed to Wyong trainer Damien Lane, Anna Roper completed her treble on the Lane-trained Bare To Witness in the 1100-metre Inland Petroleum Class 2 Showcase Handicap.
Producing a tremendous finishing run from near the tail of the field, Bare To Witness ($2.20 to $2 favourite) wore down Smart And Dapper (Mikayla Weir, $9) to win by a long head with over two lengths to the third-placed Sisters Pick (Grant Buckley, $15).
Lane, formerly from Coonamble, had earlier won the 1300-metre QUBE Agri Maiden Showcase Handicap with $61 outsider Bold Storm, which led all the way with Ben Looker in the saddle.
An undoubted highlight at Coonamble was the $50,000 Showcase Picnic Championship, with the field for the Final being comprised of the top 12 point scorers over the Picnic circuit.
Dubbo trainer Connie Greig supplied eight of the starters, and it was a spectacular sight when all her runners carried the purple and yellow stable colours.
Formerly from Brazil, leading Picnic jockey Leandro Ribeiro rode a brilliant tactical race to win the Final on the Connie Greig-trained Inzaghi.
The plan was to have Inzaghi ridden back in the field; however, Ribeiro took advantage of the slow early pace and led throughout on Inzaghi ($4 equal favourite) to win by almost three lengths.
Sons Of Bourke (Zara Lewis, $10) from the Rodney Robb stable at Nyngan came from near last to finish second, with the Rob Potter-trained, Canberra-based Madison Point (Sebastian Galea, $4 equal favourite) finishing third while the Connie Greig-trained Valadyium (John Wilson) was fourth.
Connie Greig and her business partner Michelle Jones were staunch supporters of the Picnic circuit around New South Wales, with starters at the majority of meetings, and success in the Final was well-deserved.
Apprentice jockeys had a good day at Coonamble, and Jake Barrett, with outstanding rides, landed a winning double on Belleistic Kids ($4.60) and Ammahell ($8) for the Canberra-based trainer partnership of Barbara Joseph, Paul Jones and Matt Jones.
After successive wins at Dubbo, the Brett Robb-trained Simply Xtravagant (Clayton Gallagher, $3.70 favourite) completed the hat-trick in the 1400-metre Swanny’s Food & XXXX Benchmark 66 Handicap while the Todd Howlett-trained King Rupert (Mikayla Weir, $15) set the pace and lasted to win the 1100 metres Woodhams Petroleum and Paragon Pastoral Maiden Plate in a close finish.
Forbes race on Saturday and Orange on Sunday with following meetings at Narromine (October 21) and Coonabarabran Cup (October 22).
