Country NSW: Patient Panya back in town
By Tim Egan, June 17, 2019 - 2:25 PM

Former leading apprentice Deanne Panya was back in the city winner’s circle last Saturday, after piloting the Norm Gardner-trained Upper House to victory in the Class 3 TAB Highway Plate (1500m) at Rosehill. 
Panya, a talented and successful equine artist, has only been averaging about a ride a week over the past year but last Saturday’s effort showed she’d lost none of her skill in the saddle. 
After jumping on terms, Upper House ($31) settled back in the field on the fence, where he enjoyed a trouble-free run. 
Taken five wide in the straight, Upper House hit the front about the 100-metre mark and held on to score a half-length win over the fast-finishing and unlucky Zardoro. 
“He’s had a lot of bad luck in his races, but some of it has been his own fault,” said the Canberra based Gardner. “He’s taken forever to get his head right, but he might finally have turned the corner. 
“He’s a nice horse ridden quiet so he can get home, because if you dig him too much, he can get overracing. 
“I had no hesitation in putting Deanne on and it worked out well,” he said. 
Panya confirmed Gardner’s thoughts on Upper House.
“I rode him for luck knowing he had the ability after racing consistently of late. From where he was, he conserved energy,” she said. 
“He did want to overrace at times but I was able to bring him back and when it opened up, he just let go and ran home strongly.” 
Racegoers may see more of Panya in the saddle after Saturday’s win. 
“I decided to let my riding take a back seat at the beginning of the year and it has been slow. It’s good to get back and winning. I’m hoping to do a bit more riding if the opportunity presents,” she told media.
Mothers’ day
Two other former top apprentices, whose careers stalled due to injury and motherhood, rode winners at the Rosehill meeting, creating history in the process. 
Samantha Clenton, who suffered a crushed vertebra in a race fall at Scone in 2016, rode the Gary Portelli-trained Nicci’s Gold ($7.50) to victory in the 1500-metre benchmark 78, while Jenny Duggan, who suffered a serious leg injury in 2014, took out the 1200-metre benchmark 78 aboard River Bird ($9). 
The was the first time two mothers had won on the same Saturday in metro Sydney.
The following day, both jockeys were back in the winner’s circle at the Muswellbrook meeting. 
Clenton rode a winning double, aboard Kulnura for David Atkins and Star Alibi for Jason Deamer, while Duggan got Boom Gate home for the Brett Cavanough stable.
Virus warning
Racing NSW last week issued a warning to trainers that “under no circumstances should a horse displaying an elevated temperature, or showing signs of illness, be permitted to enter a training track or travel to a racecourse for the purpose of trialling or racing.” 
The warning came after a mare in the Hunter Valley, which had not been vaccinated had to be euthanised after testing positive to the deadly Hendra virus.
People who had been exposed to the mare are being monitored by NSW Health. The virus has been responsible for the deaths of four people and 83 horses over the past 15 years.
Here’s a new one
Wagga Wagga trainer Chris Heywood has been suspended from riding trackwork for four months and fined $2000 after being found guilty by stewards of an improper-conduct charge. 
Heywood was found guilty of having ridden his mount forward in an aggressive manner making contact with and attempting to make contact with horses ridden by two other trackwork riders on several occasions, in an attempt to frighten and intimidate both horse and rider.
Hackett closer to home
Parkes-based jockey Michael Hackett, who was badly injured in a race fall at Tomingley last month, has been moved from Westmead Hospital in Sydney to Dubbo Hospital, to be closer to his family. 
The jockey, who suffered a severe brain trauma in the fall, has made “significant improvement over the past three weeks” according to NSW Jockeys Association CEO Tony Crisafo.
Skin by a nostril
It was Showcase day at Dubbo last Friday and the feature was a thriller.
The $3.20 favourite, Skin Deep, hurtled home from last in the 14-horse field to win the $40,000 Winter Country Classic (1300m) for jockey Samantha Clenton and Mudgee trainer Gayna Williams. The official digital margin was 0.05 of a length.
The $40,000 maiden also went to the favourite, Gemmahra ($3.40), trained by Dean Mirfin and ridden by Mathew Cahill.
Cups wrap
Country punters kept up their good form on Saturday at Mudgee when the 1850-metre Bligh Picnic Cup saw $2.50 favourite Butter Toast, trained by Michael Mulholland and ridden by Stephen Kehoe, score a narrow victory over Sebring Fling. 
The same day’s Walgett Cup (1400m), on the other hand, saw rank outsider Pyramid Prince ($21) get up for Dubbo trainer Garry Lunn and jockey Andrew Banks. 
On Sunday at Port Macquarie, the Tas Morton-trained O’Driscoll, ridden by Peter Graham ($13), caused another upset in winning the Wauchope Cup (1506m).  
The market were closer to the mark at Muswellbrook that day with the Aberdeen Cup (1280m) won by odds-on favourite Star Boy, trained by Brett Cavanough and ridden by Keagan Latham.
Whopper weekend
This Friday sees the Coffs Harbour Race Club stage its annual Tradies Day meeting. There’ll be $250,000 in prizemoney on offer and, for the first time, the program will include a $40,000 maiden for country-trained horses only. 
On Saturday, the Talmoi Race Club stage its annual picnic race meeting, featuring the 1400-metre Talmoi Cup.  
For those readers who, like myself, have never been to Talmoi, I’m told it’s about an eight-hour drive northwest of Sydney. 
Sunday sees the Coonamble Jockey Club stage its annual Showcase meeting, highlighted by the $35,000 Showcase Coonamble Cannonball (1100m).

 

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