The local team of Barbara Joseph and sons Paul and Matt Jones flew the flag for non-metro trainers at Canberra last Sunday, landing three races including the only one of the four black-type events not to fall to a Sydney stable.
It was five-year-old Zoustar gelding Zouatica getting the job done for the Joseph/Jones crew, causing an upset at $15 under Andrew Adkins in the listed National Sprint (1400m).
Zouatica scored by a long neck from Magnatear ($26), trained at Wagga by Tim Donnelly.
The Joseph/Jones stable’s other winners, Sturn Words ($6) and Win The Day ($8.50), were ridden by Alysha Collett, who shared the riding honours with Chad Schofield.
The feature race on the 10-race program, the $200,000 Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) went to King Of Pop ($3.90), trained by the Gerald Ryan/Sterling Alexiou partnership and ridden by Zac Lloyd.
The listed Canberra Cup (2000m) saw topweight Palmetto ($3.90), trained at Randwick by John Sargent, score by a long neck from the Chris Waller-trained Matusalem. The winner was ridden by Tim Clark.
Earlier on the program, the listed Canberra Guineas (1400m) went to $2.70 favourite Snow In May, ridden by Tyler Schiller for John O’Shea and Tom Charlton.
Mare pleases Paul
At Tamworth the same afternoon, the feature Hunter & North West Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) went to Intervarsity ($6.50), ridden by Donovan Dillon for Scone’s Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich.
The Mikki Isle mare scored by a length from Lisztomania, trained at Inverell by Todd Payne. Both horses thus qualify for the $1 million final at Randwick on April 5.
Intervarsity has now won four of her seven starts.
“She’s been working really well,” Messara said. “I thought if she drew a nice, soft gate and sat third, fourth or fifth in the run, she’d take some beating.”
Earlier in the day, the $50,000 Super Maiden saw another Scone stable successful, the Brett Cavanough-trained $2.35 favourite New Pharoah scoring under apprentice Braith Nock.
The win brought up a popular double in the first two races for Cavanough and Nock, who’d combined 40 minutes earlier to win the Barnson Showcase Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1600m) with $1.35 pop Fingers Hunter.
Girl too good
Hawkesbury-based Darryll Kell is another trainer with a date at next month’s Championships following the win of Mahogany Girl ($5.50) in the $150,000 Provincial/Midway Championship Qualifier (1400m) at her home track last Saturday.
That brought up a hat-trick of Hawkesbury wins for the six-year-old chestnut, who led all the way under regular rider Chad Lever.
The $2.60 favourite, Well Timed, could only manage second for Kembla Grange trainer Kerry Parker but that was enough to get him into the April 12 final as well.
Sandpaper makes mark
Bjorn Baker-trained ex-Godolphin five-year-old Sandpaper notched the best win of his 27-start career when Tim Clark guided him to an all-the-way victory in the $250,000 Group 3 Newcastle Stakes (1400m).
Starting a $3 equal favourite, Sandpaper held on to score by a long neck from topweight Amenable.
Sandpaper had been racing consistently this preparation, having recorded a win and three placings from four starts prior to Friday’s success.
Sandpaper had been a listed winner for James Cummings in the spring of 2022, but last Friday’s win was his first at group level.
Warwick Farm-based training partners Annabel Neasham and Rod Archibald had two winners on the program, both ridden by Chad Schofield, who shared riding honours with Chad Lever.
At Dubbo the same afternoon, the feature Col Hodges Cup (1300m) went to local five-year-old Rouge Moulin ($3.80), ridden by apprentice Tilly McCarroll for Brett Robb.
Earlier on the program, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m) went to the Neasham/Archibald-trained Tulipwood ($8.50), ridden by Grant Buckley.
Mathrin a money-spinner
Veteran Wagga mare Mathrin notched her second cup win of 2025 when she took out last Saturday’s $39,000 Naughtin Group Corowa Cup (1600m) for trainer Michael Travers and apprentice Amy O’Driscoll.
Mathrin ($12) had won the Cowra Cup three starts earlier, in January. Since joining Travers as an 11-start maiden in the winter of 2021, the seven-year-old has racked up eight wins and 17 minor placings from 62 starts.
She started her career in Victoria with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young then had a stint with Andrew Dale at Wang before crossing the Murray.
O’Driscoll rode a double at the Corowa meeting, as did Josh Richards.
Whopper weekend
There is Group 3 provincial action for the second Friday in a row this week, with the Illawarra Turf Club hosting the $250,000 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) for three-year-old fillies.
The main supports are the $85,000 Bert Lillye Memorial Handicap (1200m) and the $50,000 Stayers Cup (2400m).
Meanwhile Muswellbrook hosts a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1000 metres.
Saturday at Broken Hill, the feature race will be the 1600-metre Outback Cup.
On the same afternoon in the Southern Tablelands, the Crookwell & District Amateur Picnic Race Club will stage its annual meeting, highlighted by the Funny Hill Picnic Cup (1400m).
Gunnedah and the Sapphire Coast complete the Saturday country fare.
Sunday they’re racing at Grafton while the Country Championships qualifying circuit heads west to Coonamble for a $150,000 heat over 1400 metres.
There will also be a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1100 metres.