Scone trainer Jeremy Gask was full of praise for Ben Osmond after the apprentice’s winning ride on Red Rags To Bulls in last Saturday’s Class 3 1500-metre TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill.
Osmond, one of the tallest jockeys in the state at 181cm (5’11”), settled his mount well back in the field before weaving a passage through and charging late to reel in Pensativa.
Red Rags To Bulls ($8) won drawing away by a half-length, with Think Like Paddy a further length and three-quarters away in third place.
“She’s done a terrific job and it was a terrific ride too,” Gask said. “He (Osmond) didn’t panic and she certainly quickened up well.
“She’s only small and I thought with Ben on board she was going to look like a pony but she’s got a motor and that’s a really good effort from her.
“I think she will get over a bit further now. Her grandmother was a really good horse back in the old Adelaide days and won over (2800m).
“I expect her (Red Rags To Bulls) to get over a bit further. She’s just got a fantastic attitude and is a beautiful horse to train.”
Gask began his training career in SA before a long stint in the UK. The granddam he was referring to was Tingirana, who won eight races in his care including two listed events, ran second in the Group 1 SA Oaks and finished ninth and seventh in Adelaide Cups (3200m).
Her granddaughter, a rising five-year-old, has had 11 starts for three wins, five minor placings  and $119.950.
Extreme value
The other out-of-town trainer successful on the Rosehill program was Hawkesbury’s Blake Ryan, with Lady Extreme in the 1200-metre benchmark 78.
Lady Extreme ($5) got up in the last stride under Alysha Collett to win by a short head from Flying Destiny.
The five-year-old mare now has four wins and six placings from 11 starts. Ryan bought the mare unraced in an online sale for just $27,500. She has now won $266,000 in prizemoney.
Aaron on fire
Aaron Bullock rode the first three winners to take the riding honours at Newcastle last Saturday, while Kristen Buchanan fared best of the trainers with a winning double.
At Gundagai the same afternoon jockey Pierre Boudvillain bookended the six-race program.
The previous afternoon also saw Bullock ride a treble, this time at Tamworth, with two of his winners for local trainer, Cody Morgan. Another local trainer, Holly Williams, also had a winning double, as did promising apprentice Siena Grima.
The richest race of the afternoon, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1400m) saw Spandex score by a length for Newcastle trainer Scott Aspery.
At Moruya last Friday, there were riding doubles for Brock Ryan and Olivia Chambers, both of whose winners were for local trainer, Michael Gatty.
Sunday’s feature at Coffs Harbour was the Sawtell Cup (1515m), won in impressive fashion by the Fleur Henley-trained Grafton gelding Starzam ($8.50), completing a treble for jockey Luke Rolls.
At Dubbo the same day the $50,000 Super Maiden (1100m) went to Hefty Price ($6.50), trained at Armidale by Jane Clement and ridden by four-kilo claiming apprentice Bronte Simpson.
The Xtravagant gelding took 19 starts to break his maiden but Sunday’s win took his earnings to a handy $61,475.
Flocking to Duck Creek
This Friday sees racing at Tamworth, where the feature is a $50,000 Super Maiden (1200m), and Canberra.
Saturday’s country racing is at Nyngan, Mungindi and Cowra.  
At Nyngan in the state’s centre, the Duck Creek Picnic Race Club will conduct its annual meeting, one of the most popular on the picnic racing calendar — as evidenced by the fact that less than eight hours after being released, nearly 3000 tickets had been sold.
“To put that into perspective, that’s more than the population of our little town of Nyngan,” club secretary-manager Sarah Day told media.
The six-race card features the 1250-metre Nyngan Picnic Cup. If you’re thinking of attending, please be aware that you will need to purchase tickets through 123Tix, as there will be none for sale at the gate.
At Mungindi, on the Queensland border, the cup is a 1400-metre benchmark 66.
Sunday sees the Grafton Cup/Ramornie carnival kick off with the $30,000 John Carlton Quality (1175m).
The two main supporting races on what promises to be a great afternoon’s racing will be the 2200-metre Grafton Cup Prelude and the 1400-metre Grafton Guineas Prelude.