Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft caused one of the bigger boilovers of the spring when he won last Saturday’s $160,000 Kirkham Plate for two-year-olds at Randwick with the rank outsider of the field, $61 shot Thrill Hunter.
With Ashley Morgan aboard, Thrill Hunter defied the challenge of the well fancied Pearl Of Dubai to win by a long neck, with $4 favourite Defensemen a further length away in third place. 
“She’s very green but I reckon she’s got really good ability because, right now, she’s still a long way from where she’s going to be physically and mentally,” Morgan said. “Her attitude is going to take her a long way. 
“The saddle shifted and the girth was around her flanks so I was lucky she didn’t start bucking.”
It’s probable that the filly will have just one more start before being spelled. 
“We could look at the Inglis Banner at Flemington on the final day of the Cup carnival or the Golden Gift at Rosehill,” Croft said. 
“I’m thinking the Golden Gift might be a tough race so the Inglis Banner is something we’ll consider.”
Thrill Hunter is eligible for the Banner as a $280,000 graduate of last year’s Easter sale.
Classic plan
Wagga Wagga-based trainer Gary Colvin is likely to set Southern Dancer for the 2000-metre Country Classic at Rosehill on November 29 following the mare’s determined win in the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap (1600m) at Randwick last Saturday. 
Ridden by Tyler Schiller, Southern Dancer ($12) showed plenty of courage in staving off the challenge of $4.20 favourite Poisen Point to win by a neck, with the unlucky Christa a long neck further away in third place. 
“She was awfully brave late and they were never going to get past her on the line,” Schiller said. 
Colvin said Southern Dancer was now looking for the extra distance of the $160,000 Country Classic.
“She’s a 2000-metre horse and she fought on like one,” he said. “She’s matured a bit and we’ll get her over further now. 
“I think she’s up to (the Country Classic) and you’re only against country-trained horses.”
Impressive, by Jupiter
The day’s Midway (1200m) saw Oakfield Jupiter ($5) score a first-up win for Wyong trainer Damien Lane. 
Much credit for the win must go to jockey Jason Collett, who had to navigate from barrier 11 of 12.
The Toronado mare now has three wins from four starts. Her only failure came in the listed Denise’s Joy at Scone at the end of her last campaign, but a return to black type is surely on the cards. 
Meanwhile at Doomben, Newcastle’s Kris Lees capped a strong day for NSW provincial stables when Imposant ($6) took the 1350-metre Class 6 under three-kilo claimer Cobi Vitler.
Vics snare silverware
Victorian raiders have been plundering the country cups in southern NSW this spring and it happened again last Saturday when Fox Appeal ($3.80) took the Balranald Cup for Wangaratta trainer Craig Weeding and four-kilo claimer Cassidy Hill.
 Weeding and Hill then combined to win the final race, the 1000-metre Elders Spring Cup, with Big Day Out ($4). 
Two-kilo claiming apprentice Makisha Salter also rode a double, while Swan Hill’s Nathan Hobson trained two winners.
Meanwhile in the Hilltops region, backers of $2.10 favourite Ozzy The Equaliser left the money in the bag after a thrilling dead heat in the Harden Picnic Cup (1400m).
The judge couldn’t split Tough James ($8), trained by Steve Cunningham and ridden by Sarah McDonough, from outsider Foxwell ($21), ridden by Ashley Boyd for Russell Green.
Both dead-heaters are trained at — you guessed it — Wangaratta.
NSW picnics king Leandro Ribeiro rode three of the other four winners at Harden.
To the north, the 1400-metre Casino Gold Cup went to Prancing With Fire ($3.70), trainer at Grafton by Fleur Henley and ridden by Ben Looker. 
Looker took the riding honours at Casino with a winning treble. 
Siena stars
Apprentice Siena Grima had a day she’ll never forget at Coonabarabran’s Showcase meeting on Sunday. The rising star won five of the eight races including all the main events. 
She started her winning streak aboard Supreme Style ($1.30 favourite) in the 900-metre Country Boosted Maiden. She then won the $50,000 Super Maiden (1200m) on $3.50 favourite Somerton Smart. 
Next she took out the 1100-metre Cup Day Showcase Sprint on Enterprise Legend ($3.30 favourite) before winning the 1400-metre Baradine Cup aboard Nightfighter ($4.20). 
Then came the feature race of the afternoon, the $75,000 Coonabarabran Cup (1600m). In this she steered topweight and $2.10 favourite Who Ever Thought to a long-neck win over Rhythm Is A Dancer.    
Strap yourself in
This Friday’s Wagga card is feature-packed, with the 1400-metre Sadlier Stakes, the 3200-metre Mountaineer Cup, the 1600-metre Bragger Cup and a 1200-metre heat of the Rising Stars Series on the agenda.
Saturday is cup day at Berrigan, with the main race over 1600 metres, while country NSW features on Tuesday, Melbourne Cup day, include the 1840-metre Wentworth Cup and the 900-metre Bowman Sprint at Muswellbrook.