South Coast trainer Terry Robinson brought up back-to-back TAB Highway wins with Our Rosemaree when the mare claimed last Saturday’s edition of the series at Rosehill. 
The five-year-old’s previous win was over 1100 metres and on Saturday she was jumping to 1400 metres for the first time. 
This, coupled with the fact that she sweated up badly in the mounting yard prior to the race, may have accounted for the fact that she went to the barriers as a $14 outsider. 
After jumping on terms, jockey Winona Costin quickly had Our Rosemaree settled in the box seat, a position she held until turning for home. 
On entering the straight, Costin sent her mount to the front and the mare did the rest, sprinting clear to record an impressive win. 
“I thought I may have gone too soon but she’s just so tough,” said Costin. 
“I was very worried going to the 1400 metres for the first time and how pumped up she was in the yard. She was sweating so I was a bit nervous going out, but we got a nice run and she settled very well, which has been a big help to her this preparation.” 
Part-owner Ralph Mutton admitted that he too had concerns about Our Rosemaree prior to the race. 
“I was a bit worried about the 1400 metres and she lathered up before the race but all credit to Terry (Robinson). He was also hoping she could get the trip but he had a lot of faith in her and his faith has been repaid in the last two starts. 
“She’s learned how to settle on the pace and she’s getting the job done.” 
Scho good
Aided by a top ride from jockey Glyn Schofield, Newcastle galloper Bon Amis ($4.40) made it two wins from as many starts this preparation in winning the 1100-metre benchmark 88 at Rosehill. 
After drawing awkwardly in barrier 10, Schofield elected to push forward. While he did have to use a bit of petrol to do so, the decision enabled him to have his mount beautifully positioned just off the pace after 200 metres. 
In the straight, Schofield brought Bon Amis to the middle of the track to make his run. 
The five-year-old responded well, hitting the front inside the final 200 metres and finishing the race off strongly to score by a length and a quarter from the fast-finishing Jorda, who had come from well back in the field. 
“This is the toughest race he’s contested,” said trainer Jason Deamer.
“I know they ran along, which helped him, but he still had to do it. It was a good, strong win.” 
Earlier in the day, stewards had fined Deamer $200 for not having declared a rider for Bon Amis until the morning of the race. 
“I can afford it now,” he quipped later.
Tahsin again
The Mudgee Race Club held its annual Showcase meeting last Friday, with two of the three features going to country trainers. 
The exception was the main race, the $50,000 Mudgee Cup (1600m), where the Joseph Pride-trained Tahsin ($11), ridden by apprentice Robbie Dolan, brought up successive wins in the race, defeating Appoint Percy and Missybeel. 
The $40,000 maiden over 1200 metres went to Concours, trained at Orange by Joe Curran and ridden by Mathew Cahill, while the $35,000 Cup Day Sprint went to local mare Our Dasha, trained by Derek Piper and ridden by Greg Ryan. 
The win gave Ryan, who currently heads the NSW country jockeys premiership, a winning double. It was the beginning of a good weekend for Ryan, who booted home four winners the following day at Gunnedah, three of them for trainer Allan Denham. 
Coola rules Cooma
Another feature to stay home last weekend was Saturday’s Cooma Cup, won by $3.60 favourite Coolamine, ridden by Courtney Gillman and trained locally by Georgie Boucher. 
Gillman took riding honours for the day, riding three winners and two seconds, while Boucher led in a winning double. 
Some 600 kilometres west, the Moulamein Cup (1600m) was won by Clever Boy, trained across the Victorian border by Con Kelly at Swan Hill and middle leg of a winning treble to jockey Bryan Murphy. Second place went to Rerelease. 
The same day at Albury, apprentice Rebeka Prest, who featured in this column recently and who has been riding in great form, also rode a winning treble, bringing her tally to 17 wins for the season.
Chelsea’s back
Talented Hawkesbury-based apprentice Chelsea Ings is back in the saddle after being sidelined for six months following a fall at the Port Macquarie races in May, which left her with a badly broken ankle. 
At the time, Ings was riding in career-best form, having already ridden 26 winners for the 2017/18 season.  
Ings, who claims two kilos at country meetings and three at metropolitan and provincial meetings, can be contacted for rides through her mother, trainer Wanda Ings, on 0409 652 923.