Goulburn mare Rose Aye couldn’t have been more impressive last Saturday at Rosehill as she took the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap (1300m) by 7½ lengths easing down. 
Having drawn barrier 13 in the 13-horse field, Tommy Berry had no hesitation in taking the $2.90 favourite straight to the front. 
It was a ride that pleased trainer Matthew Dale.
“I said to Tommy that from that gate, you’ve just got to have intent to make a bird of it,” he said. “If you second-guess, you’ll be posted wide. 
“So Tommy did that. He showed solid intent and controlled the tempo. 
“Jeez, it was good to see her quicken and sustain a gallop. She’ll back up in eight days (this Sunday) in the Country Championships (qualifier) down at the Sapphire Coast, all being equal.”
Dale will have a strong hand in that qualifier as he is also likely to start Martina Mumma and Canadian Ruler. 
Rose Aye is proving to be a great buy for her connections as she has now won $130,725 in prizemoney, having been purchased for just $13,000 at the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeding Association yearling sale in 2023. 
Market knowledge
Punters were on the ball at Canberra last Friday, with two favourites and two second favourites successful across the four preview races ahead of the club’s March 8 feature meeting.
The Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott-trained Zoufield ($2.50 favourite) won the Canberra Guineas Preview (1400m) under Winona Costin. 
Well supported $2.70 favourite Music Time won the Black Opal Preview (1000m) for local trainer Gratz Vella, with Pierre Boudvillain aboard.
Another local, the Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden-trained Burgundy Girl ($4.60), won the Canberra Cup Preview (2000m) with apprentice Jessica Brookes aboard.
My Last Hooray, trained by Frank Cleary at Queanbeyan and ridden by Amy McLucas, won the National Sprint Preview as a $4.80 second pick.
Tom too strong
The Country Championships series continued across the weekend, with qualifiers at Mudgee on Saturday and Port Macquarie on Sunday.
At Mudgee it was three-year-old Peltzer gelding Tom Vegas ($5.50) triumphant, with Mathew Cahill aboard for Bathurst trainer Dean Mirfin. Stablemate Turned Down grabbed second to take the other qualifying spot.
There was a boilover at Port with the Robert Agnew-trained local Show ’Em Howl ($21) winning under apprentice Anna Roper from Colt Prosser-trained gelding Kaihoko ($26).
It was a productive day for Wauchope-based Prosser, who as well as securing a Country Championships slot with Kaihoko trained a double. Luke Rolls rode both Prosser’s winners.
Ash on fire
Ash Boyd was the star of the annual Condobolin picnic meeting last Saturday, riding a treble on the six-race card.
His main winner was Pickaxe ($9) for Dubbo-based picnics queen Connie Greig in the Condobolin Cup (1400m).
Greig and Forbes-based Bill Hayes shared the training honours with a double apiece.
He’s all right
One of the more impressive provincial winners over the weekend was He’s Cool in an 1100-metre Super Maiden at Wyong on Saturday.
Trained at Newcastle by Mark Minervini, the Rubick gelding was second up from an eight-month spell and backed from $7 into $5.50. He raced on the pace and booted clear to win by 2¼ lengths under apprentice William Stanley.
It’s taken a while for the penny to drop but He’s Cool could be a genuine improver this time in.
Wagga whopper
This Saturday sees the Country Championships series head to Wagga, where the Murrumbidgee Turf Club will stage the $150,000 Southern Distict Racing Association heat over 1400 metres as well as a $50,000 Super Maiden over the same distance and a heat of the Wagga Stayer Series over 1800 metres. 
Saturday is also cup day at the Yass picnics, 60km from Canberra, where the main race is over 1350 metres. 
On Sunday, the Sapphire Coast Turf Club hosts a $150,000 Country Championships qualifier over 1400 metres and a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1200 metres.