Albury trainer Donna Scott notched her first TAB Highway Handicap win when Villasaurus recorded a dominant win in last Saturday’s edition of the series, a 1400-metre Class 3 at Rosehill.
Tyler Schiller settled his mount just off the pace before securing a rails run approaching the 200-metre mark.
Given clear galloping room, Villasaurus ($9) careered away from his rivals to record a 3¼-length win over Everido with Bravely a further length away in third place.
“Sydney just hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for me but this is a big day today,” Scott said.
“It’s such a big ordeal (getting to Sydney). We’re at the wrong end of the state for Highways. But this has paid off.
“I’ve always had a good opinion of him but it’s taken a while for the penny to drop.
“It was always the plan to come here first up and he’ll probably be better at a mile (1600m) but it was good to get it today.
“You always think Country Championships and he might be the ideal horse.”
Mad about Harry
In the opening race at Newcastle last Saturday, the $60,000 Super Maiden Plate (900m) first-starter Private Harry was sent out a $1.55 favourite on the strength of some impressive trials and didn’t let his supporters down.
The three-year-old Harry Angel colt, who’s trained at the track by Nathan Doyle, came from behind the pace to score by a half-length from Lady Memphis with Rubi’s Serve a close-up third.
The winner, who was ridden by Ashley Morgan, obviously has talent and should pay to follow.
Doyle trained a winning double at the meeting while Lee Magorrian fared best of the jockeys with a double of his own.
At Dubbo the same afternoon the $50,000 Super Maiden (1000m) went to Magic Forest ($4), trained at Goulburn by Danielle Seib and ridden by Mathew Cahill.
The winner, who started her career in the John O’Shea stable but transferred to Seib before her debut, scored by three-quarters of a length from the favourite, Taipan Legend, with a similar margin to third-placed Fake.
It was Magic Forest’s first run snce her debut seventh at Goulburn in May.
Mikayla Weir fared best of the riders at Dubbo with a winning double.
On a six-race program at Coffs Harbour, local trainer Aiden St Vincent and jockey Matthew McGuren combined to win the first two races on the program. Another local, Brett Bellamy, and his apprentice Courtney Bellamy took the next two.
Elsewhere, the Berrigan Cup (1600m) went to the well backed $2.10 favourite Play On Words, trained at Bendigo by Rod Symons and ridden by three-kilo claiming apprentice Christopher Pang.
The winner never gave supporters any cause for concern in scoring by 2¼ lengths from Jayzeal with Parabellum a further three-quarters of a length away in third place. The win brought up a treble for the up-and-coming Pang.
On a five-race program at Tumut the same afternoon Damon Budler rode a double.
Bob gets the bob in
The previous day at Wagga, a thrilling finish to the feature 1400-metre Sadlier Stakes saw three horses hit the line locked together.
When the print was developed it showed that Body Bob, trained at Goulburn by Pat Murphy and ridden by apprentice Rebecca Bronett Prag, had won by a short head from Let Me Entertainyou, with Rupert’s Red Rocket a half-head away third. In an open betting race, the winner started favourite at $4.40.
In the previous race, the 1600-metre Bragger Cup, the Michael Mulholland-trained Interventionist ($7.50), with apprentice Shayleigh Ingelse in the saddle, scored by a length from the favourite, Notleanormean.
Earlier on the program, the 3200-metre Mountaineer Cup saw the James Ponsonby-trained Will To Excel ($8.50), ridden by Mathew Cahill, demolish his rivals by five lengths.
At Moree the same afternoon, apprentice Shannon Llewellyn and senior jockey Clayton Gallagher shared riding honours with a double apiece.
Dot was a diamond
The Muswellbrook racing community is mourning the passing of local stalwart Dorothy (Dot) Robinson.
Dot Robinson worked at the Muswellbrook Race Club as a track supervisor and gardener for more than thirty years. On race days, she would sell her baked goods, jams and relishes.
“Dot was the heart and soul of the Muswellbrook Race Club over many years and took great care of the grounds and gardens, which will be her long-lasting legacy. She was loved and will be fondly remembered by everyone,” said MRC chairman John Sutherland.
At the Muswellbrook meeting last Sunday there was a race named in her honour.
Bang a Gong
The Illawarra Turf Club has announced three new ambassadors for the club’s biggest meeting of the year, The Gong, to be held at Kembla Grange on Saturday, November 23.
The new ambassadors are former Olympian Jessica Hull, who grew up in the area, local businesswoman Amy Zikic and trainer Mitchell Beer, who moved to the area a year ago from Albury, where he’d won three Southern District trainers’ premierships.
The feature race on the 10-race program will be the $1 million Gong, now promoted to Group 3 status, with the main supporting race the $300,000 Snap Wollongong The Warra.
Coming attractions
This Friday sees racing at Albury and Kempsey. The Kempsey meeting is a Showcase affair featuring the $40,000 Akubra Hats Kempsey Cup (1450m), supported by a $50,000 Super Maiden over the same distance.
Saturday is Silver City Cup day at Broken Hill, with the feature over 1600 metres, while the provincial card at Wyong includes a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1200 metres.
On Sunday at Armidale, the 1400-metre Guyra Cup will be the main race, with a $50,000 Super Maiden to be run over 1100 metres.
At Warren the same afternoon the 1600-metre Cotton Cup will be the feature, supported by a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1400 metres.