Trainer Paul Snowden was in familiar territory when he led in his first metropolitan winner since going solo, after Lunaite took out last Saturday’s Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap over 1200 metres at Rosehill. 
Until the end of the 2023/24 season, Snowden had been in a successful training partnership with his father, Peter. 
After a family move to Port Macquarie and a few months’ break, Paul resumed training from his new location in April this year. 
Last Saturday jockey Ben Looker, who has been working closely with Snowden since the trainer’s move, was able to overcome a wide barrier draw and have  Lunaite ($5) settled just off the pace before surging to the lead in the straight.
 The Deep Field mare went on to win by a length from Madrina with the favourite, Social Circle, an unlucky third, a half-length further away. 
“It was a very good ride,” Snowden said. “Ben has been doing a lot of work for me up there for the last few months and to reward him like we have done today, it’s a good effort. He handled it well and she duly saluted.”
Saturday’s win was the mare’s third from six starts for Snowden and he is now likely to set her for autumn’s Country Championships final at Randwick. 
“We’ll probably give her another run and if she wins again, we might just pull up and give her a little break and aim towards a berth in the Country Championships,” he said.
Snowden had another winner at Armidale on Sunday — odds-on favourite Navy Buoy in a maiden — to take his solo record to 32 starters for eight winners at a useful strike rate of 25 per cent.
 Jupiter reigns again
Last Saturday’s benchmark 72 Midway Handicap (1300m) saw promising Wyong mare, Oakfield Jupiter record her fourth win at start number five. 
The mare, who started a $4.60 favourite and was ridden by Zac Lloyd, scored by a half-neck from the fast-finishing Rolling Magic with Satness a nose away third. 
“The draw was a bit sticky but Zac ended up getting a lovely run. It was a peach of a ride,” said winning trainer Damien Lane. 
The win has caused a dilemma for Lane and owner Bruce Mackenzie, with the Provincial Championships series looming.
In order to qualify for that series, a horse must not have won more than five races. If they continue with her preparation and she wins again, she will have to be spelled and go into the Provincial Championships first up.
Around the traps
Punters got it right at Kempsey last Friday when the Kempsey Cup went to heavily backed $2.10 favourite Swift Charm, trained at Coffs Harbour by Brett Dodson and ridden by Luke Rolls. 
The win brought up a double for Dodson, who’d earlier won the 1900-metre benchmark 74 with $71 longshot Full Press. The eight-year-old won like an odds-on pop too, coming in 5¼ lengths ahead of runner-up Mission To Win.  
In the $50,000 Super Maiden (1450m) the Colt Prosser-trained Russian Escape ($3.10), ridden by Mollie Fitzgerald, recorded a one-length win over odds-on favourite Rustemo. Fitzgerald shared riding honours for the day with apprentice Siena Grima, who also rode a double.
At Albury the same afternoon, two-kilo claiming apprentice Brittany Button and senior jockey Pierre Beaudvillain rode a double apiece. 
One of Button’s winners, the Kym Davison-trained local three-year-old Autumn Break, was most impressive winning the 1400-metre Class 2 by 4½ lengths as a $1.85 favourite and should pay to follow in the weeks ahead.
On Sunday at Warren, the feature Cotton Cup (1600m) went to $3.70 favourite Tainui, trained at Quirindi by Geoff O’Brien and ridden by Kody Nestor. 
Mudgee’s Mack Griffith fared best of the trainers at Warren with a winning double. Both his winners were ridden by Jake Pracey-Holmes, who shared riding honours with Mikayla Weir.
 At Armidale the same afternoon, the 1400-metre Guyra Cup went to Shamedy ($6.50), trained at Inverell by Todd Payne and ridden by Ben Looker. 
Earlier on the program, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1100m) was won by $1.55 favourite Bullant, trained at Scone by Lyle Chandler and ridden by apprentice Braith Nock. Nock finished the afternoon with a double, as did Looker.    
Get to Gundagai 
This Friday sees the Gundagai/Adelong Race Club hold one of the most popular race meetings in country NSW. The highlight of the meeting will undoubtedly be the $100,000 Snake Gully Cup, an eligibility race for next November’s Big Dance. As an added incentive  the winner will also be exempt from any ballot for the $200,000 Canberra Community Chest (1400m) on Sunday week.  
The main supporting races on Friday at Gundagai are the $50,000 Showcase Super Maiden (1180m) and the $50,000 Tuckerbox (1000m). 
Saturday sees the action continue with the running of the 1800-metre Hair Of The Dog Cup.