Training partners Brett Cavanaugh and his daughter Georgie will set Navy Steel, winner of last weekend’s Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill, for the lucrative Country Championships.
Navy Steel scored narrowly but impressively last Saturday after Tommy Berry sent him straight to the front from the start.
Brett Cavanaugh praised the contribution of his daughter after the victory. “Georgie’s been the one at home working and looking after the horses while I’ve been away a bit lately, so full credit to her,” he said.
Saturday’s win was Navy Steel’s fourth from just 12 starts.
“Hopefully after that win today we can get into a (Country Championships) heat,” Cavanaugh said.
State too strong
In the following race at Rosehill Alabama State, who is trained at Hawkesbury by Jack Pilkington, registered his first win in 476 days when claiming the Midway Handicap (1350 metres).
Despite carrying topweight of 59.5 kilos and racing three wide for the entire journey, Alabama State proved too strong for his rivals, winning by a length from Iceman with a similar margin to third placegetter Hazel Jean.
“James (winning jockey James McDonald) just let him flow ... you put the best in the world on for a reason. It was a beautiful ride,” said Pilkington.
“I was relieved to get the win because I knew he was better than the class he was in.”
Satomi off to super start
Another country trainer to achieve metropolitan success on Saturday was Ballina-based Stephen Lee.
Lee took out the opening race at Eagle Farm, the 1200-metre Village Handicap for two-year-olds with the first starter Satomi, ridden by apprentice Jai Williams. The filly won by two lengths from Sniper Boom with Nifty’s Treasure a half-length away third.
Honours shared
At the Newcastle meeting conducted the same afternoon, jockeys Keagan Latham and Aaron Bullock shared riding honours, with doubles.
The previous day, the meeting scheduled for Bathurst had to be abandoned after the first race due to extremely hot weather.
 The only race conducted was an 1100-metre Benchmark 66, won by the Ross McConville trained Excuseme Mrofficer who was ridden by Robyn Freeman.
That night at the Canterbury meeting, the south coast father-and-son training team of Robert and Luke Price took out the final race on the program, the 1250-metre  Benchmark 72, with Monte Kate, ridden by three-kilo claiming apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald.
Maybe Moet finished second, beaten a half-length with Berezka a further length-and-a-half away in third place.
Copperfield’s Cup
On Saturday at Tumbarumba, a non-TAB meeting, the 1400-metre Tumbarumba Cup was won by Andrew Dale’s Copperfield, ridden by apprentice Emma Ly.
Astunner finished a long neck second and there was a huge gap to third-placed Gargantuan.
The Cup win brought up a double on the day for Dale.
Zoutica shines 
At the Sapphire Coast meeting on Sunday, the 1600-metre Bega Showcase Cup was won by Zouatica who is trained by the Joseph/Jones stable.
Zouatica was ridden by Billy Owen and won comfortably from Super Helpful and Associate.
The winning trainers then took out the final race on the program with favourite  Remadosi, ridden by Pierre Boudvillain.
Earlier on the program, the 2200-metre  Sapphire Coast Cup was claimed by the Dryden/Snowden-trained Burgundy Girl who was ridden by apprentice Jessica Brookes.
In the following race, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1400 metres), trainer Theresa Bateup’s Brundee Tom defeated Ring Of Fire and Reveillon.
The winner was ridden by Brock Ryan. In an exciting finish to the following race, the 1200 metre Showcase Sprint, the Mitchell Beer/George Carpenter-trained Los Padres, with Grant Buckley in the saddle, won by  a head from Who But Roo.
At the Murwillumbah meeting held the same afternoon, trainer Matthew Dunn led in a winning treble with two of them ridden by Andrew Mallyon.
Great racing at Walcha 
Today (Friday), the Waleha Jockey Club hosts its Showcase meeting. 
On what promises to be a wonderful day of racing, the feature race will be the 1440-metre Walcha Cup and the main supporting races are the 1000 metre Lightning Handicap, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1000 metres) and the 1000 metres Graziers Cup.
The following day, Braidwood Jockey Club will hold its annual race meeting with the main race being the 1350-metre  Braidwood Cup.
The Tumut Cup will also be decided on Saturday, while Nowra on Sunday has a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1200 metres.