A patient ride from Zac Lloyd was enough to see Dubbo five-year-old Kranich break his city duck in the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap over 1300 metres) at Rosehill last Saturday.
Kranich ($5.50), trained by Michael Mulholland, accelerated impressively in the straight to reel in the leaders and win drawing away by a widening length and a half from Shipshape, with favourite Christa a long head away in third place. 
Having drawn gate 13 in the 14-horse field, Lloyd elected to settle his mount towards the rear of the field. 
In the straight Kranich appeared to be trapped behind a wall of horses but Lloyd was able to find a gap. On seeing daylight, Kranich burst through and quickly put paid to his rivals. 
“He has a nice little turn of foot when you need it,” Lloyd said. “He won that race quite nicely. 
“I didn’t want to be that far back but the way the race turned out over the first furlong there was a lot of speed and horses getting caught wide, so I thought I’d just give him the chance to settle early. 
“It paid dividends when I needed a run because he’d spent no petrol early. 
“He really quickened well and was able to make his own runs. He did it well and made my life a lot easier.”
Kranich, who came to Mulholland from Victoria as a three-start maiden, has four wins, two seconds and a third from nine starts in NSW. His only previous city start was a second at Randwick on July 12.
Denim does it again
Wyong trainer Denim Wynen made it two Rosehill wins in a fortnight when well backed $3.50 favourite Monkhana took the 1500-metre benchmark 72 Midway that kicked off last Saturday’s program.
With two-kilo claimer Anna Roper aboard, Monkhana finished strongly to win by a half-length from Vetwelve, with Convergent a half-neck further away in third. 
Roper elected to settle her mount just off the pace before chiming in with a well timed run to claim Vetwelve. 
Convergent, who’d also been well-supported in betting to start second favourite, finished the race off strongly and looks likely to be better suited over a longer distance. 
After the race, Wynen said she was “lost for words”. 
“I can’t believe it. I’m so excited. I was pretty confident with her today, without saying it. She trained on well after her last start and has come back a different horse this time in. She’s a lot stronger.”
Wynen, who’d won at Rosehill with Sunshine Law on August 2, was back in the winner’s circle at home last Sunday when Roper guided Triple Triple ($3.60) to victory in an 1100-metre maiden. 
Coupe too slick
One of Australia’s most in-form gallopers is Hawkesbury four-year-old Mal Coupe, who made it four wins and two seconds from six starts this campaign when he took the 1100-metre benchmark 78 at Rosehill as a $15 chance.
“Every time we’ve set a bar for him he’s answered the question,” said trainer Stephen O’Halloran. 
“I thought we were maybe going a little bit of a step too far with him. 
“The horse has had a super preparation and doesn’t know how to run a bad race. That was his sixth run this prep so he will probably go for a holiday. 
“We want to look after him. He hasn’t done anything wrong and we obviously have a nice horse on our hands.”
The win certainly impressed jockey Winona Costin, who’s been on board all campaign.
“What a training performance and what a horse,” she said. “He’s very unassuming and he just keeps lifting. 
“They got to him and a little bit in front of him and he just kicked back. He’s got so much fight.” 
Later, in a thrilling finish to the Rosehill program, Cloudland ($9) made it four wins on the day for non-metro trainers when he won the 1200-metre benchmark 94 by a short neck from Lord Penman, with Bunker Hut a similar margin away in third place. 
The winner is trained by Kris Lees at Newcastle and was ridden by Dylan Gibbons. 
Around the traps
At Gilgandra last Saturday the feature Collie Cup (1200m) went to the Wayne Brown-trained Tamworth eight-year-old So Country ($4.20), ridden by apprentice Shannen Llewellyn. 
Llewellyn rode a double at the meeting to share riding honours with Kody Nestor.
Clint Lundholm trained a winning double, as did Andrew Dale at Narrandera the same day. 
The previous afternoon at Tamworth, Andrew Bullock took riding honours with a winning treble, while promising apprentice Siena Grima rode a double. 
One of Bullock’s winners, the Messara/Gavranich-trained Bellini Spritz ($2.70 favourite) was impressive winning the 2100-metre Class 1 by 6¾ lengths and should prove worth following. 
At Taree the same day there were doubles to trainer Paul Cheers and jockeys Matthew McGuren and Mollie Fitzgerald.
On Sunday at Wyong, trainer Bjorn Baker and jockey Dylan Gibbons combined to win a double. Their first winner, Nkosi ($3.10), impressed winning the 1600-metre Class 1 by 4¾ lengths. 
Another to impress was the John Sargent-trained three-year-old Flying Orchid ($2.10 favourite), who won the 1350-metre benchmark 64 by three lengths under Zac Lloyd and remains unbeaten. 
Cups coming up
This Friday is cup day at Murwillumbah, with the 1550-metre feature worth $70,000 and carrying Big Dance eligibility. The main supporting races will be the 1200-metre B.F. Charman Sprint, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1200m) and the 2020-metre Tygalgah Cup. 
On Sunday the $200,000 Goulburn Cup (1400m) is also a Big Dance eligibility race, while a $50,000, Super Maiden (1400m) adds interest. 
Sunday is also cup day at Narromine, with the feature over 1600 metres.