Goulburn trainer Danny Williams, notched his 30th win of the TAB Highway series at Rosehill last Saturday when Exit Fee took out the 1300-metre Class 3 as a $3.30 favourite.
One of five winners on the day for jockey Zac Lloyd, the three-year-old finished the race off strongly to win by three-quarters of a length from Bide Your Time with a further half-length to third-placd Spirits Burn Deep.
“I think we’ve had four seconds in the past four Highways we’ve had runners, so it’s good to get the win,” Williams commented.
The trainer is hoping to secure a start for Exit Fee in the $1 million Country Championships Final at Randwick on April 5 but concedes it won’t be easy, with Saturday’s win boosting Exit Fee’s handicap rating from 62 to 67.
“I think he needs about a 72 rating to get into the Wild Card (at Goulburn on March 23) so we still have some work to do,” Williams said.
“We’ll throw him in the nominations and see if he gets a run. He races very consistently and deserves his shot.”
Boston holds on
The fourth race at Rosehill, the 1100-metre, Benchmark 78, saw another Goulburn trainer in the winner’s circle.
This time it was Matthew Dale with Boston Rocks ($11) and jockey Ashley Morgan.
“I won two races on Boston Rocks early in his career and he’s always shown something,” Morgan said.
“I think the shadow roll going on has helped because he does carry his head high but he was very good today. He gave me a great feel during the race and it did get tight there at the finish. I wasn’t sure if we’d held on so I was glad to see his number go up.”
It’s not surprising Morgan was unsure of the result, because the winning margin over second-placed Wallenda was a half-head, with Enriched another long head away in third place.
Rush too tough
Zac Lloyd’s day had kicked off in promising style with victory on Rush Attack ($6.50) for Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle in the benchmark 72 Midway over 1500 metres, but the jockey wasn’t patting himself on the back.
Rush Attack displayed plenty of courage to win in a tight finish by a short head from It’s A Wonder with Promitto a long head away in third.
The winner was trapped three wide without cover for the majority of the race.
“Three wide from barrier four is not really how you want to start the day,” Lloyd said. “I was lucky. It wasn’t a very sharp ride, but I was on the speed.
“He’s a tough horse and toughed it out nicely.”
Doyle was full of praise for the four-year-old Brave Smash gelding, who began his career in the city stable of Annabel Neasham.
“He was caught wide and did it tough with no cover but Zac just kept him in the rhythm,” Doyle said.
“Even on the corner, despite having a tough run, you knew he was going to fight. He toughed it out nicely.
“He’s had six starts for us and hasn’t missed the top two.”
Aim on target
Punters were on the ball at Quirindi last Friday with $2.40 favourite Aimpoint taking the Quirindi Cup (1600m) for Mudgee trainer Mack Griffith and jockey Aaron Bullock.
The main supporting race, the Quirindi Lightning (1100m) went to Gold Lover ($4.80), ridden by Ben Looker for Tamworth trainer Holly Williams.
The well backed $2.40 favourite, Wilbury, finished second, beaten a neck.
The win brought up a double for Looker, who shared riding honours with Donovan Dillon, who’d ridden the first two winners.
At Canberra the same afternoon, Alysha Collett and Amy McLucas shared riding honours with a double apiece.
Old firm again
Out west on Saturday, the prolific pincics partnership of jockey Leandro Ribeiro and Dubbo trainer Connie Greig combined for yet another trophy, snaring the Condobolin Picnic Cup (1400m) with $1.60 favourite Laisvas.
Laisvas, backing up off her Bedgerabong Cup win the previous Saturday, never looked in danger of defeat, careering away to a five-length romp.
Greig dominated the meeting, leading in the last four winners on the six-race program. Scone’s Nikki Pollock trained the first two.
At Lismore the same afternoon Matthew McGuren rode a winning treble, Ben Looker a double.
At Gosford, Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup led in a double while apprentice Mollie Fitgerald rode a winning double.
Sun chimes in
Sunday’s South Eastern Racing Assocation Country Championships Qualifier saw Sunchyme ($15), trained in Canberra by Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden, score by a half-length under Alysha Collett from Cable Express ($8), trained at Goulburn by Danielle Seib.
Both horses are now qualified for the $1 million final.
Earlier on the program, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1200m) went to the Michael Freedman-trained $2.70 favourite, Every Heart, ridden by Sean Guymer.
At Mudgee the same afternoon, local trainer Mack Griffith completed a weekend cups double when Osman ($7.50) took the Mudgee Cup (1400m) under apprentice Mitch Stapleford.
Heats are on
The Country Championships heats head to Orange this Friday, with the $150,000 qualifier over 1400 metres supported by a $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m).
Saturday it’s Wagga’s turn to host the $150,000 Southern Districts Racing Association heat, also over 1400 metres. There will also be a heat of the Wagga Stayer Series over 1800 metres.
Saturday is cup day at Yass, with the Yass Picnic Cup to be run over 1350 metres.