Leading country rider Neil Farley dominated proceedings at St Arnaud last Saturday, riding four winners on a day to remember for the understated hoop.
Last Saturday’s effort backed up a winning double a week earlier at Avoca, the talented jock hitting form at an ideal time of the season.
Farley was runner-up in race one at St Arnaud before opening his account in the third event aboard the Austy Coffey-trained Final Quarter ($11).
The Irishman hit his straps in the second half of the program, winning the first three legs of the quaddie in a dominant display around the tight-turning Wimmera circuit.
Farley notched a running double for trainer Chris Davis in races five and six, steering Mahjing ($2.90 favourite) and Sweet Bella ($6) to victory, before teaming up with Henry Dwyer’s galloper Pittsburgh Pirate ($3.80) to take out the feature St Arnaud Cup (2000m).
Jumping from an outside gate, the five-year-old had enough speed to land in second position heading into the back, settling a length behind $2.70 favourite Commander Harry.
Farley applied pressure to the leader from the 600-metre mark, taking the son of Pierro to the lead on straightening and opening up a race-winning advantage and holding off a rallying Commander Harry in the final stages to emerge a half-length victor.
The win was Pittsburgh Pirate’s fifth from 20 starts — his fourth with Farley aboard — and made it two victories in a row for the Henry Dwyer-trained galloper.
He’ll likely head to the Ararat Cup on Sunday week, and you can count on Farley getting the phone call to ride again.
’Proof positive
Our attention turns to Wycheproof this weekend, the famed “Derby Day in the Country” meeting an essential bucket-list item for all country racing lovers.