Gratz Vella flew the flag for the locals last Sunday at Canberra’s major meeting of the year, taking the Group 3 Black Opal (1200m) with All Too Hard gelding Music Time.
 Backed in from $5 to start a $4 second favourite, Music Time led all the way under Pierre Boudvillain to beat the Peter Snowden-trained Pearl Of Dubai by 1¾ lengths.
“From day one he showed me that we could be competitive in a Black Opal,” Vella said. “That was so beautiful.”
Music Time will not get the chance to emulate another Canberra galloper in Catbird (1999) by completing the Black Opal/Golden Slipper double, with Vella indicating an immediate spell.
“Hopefully when he comes back we can go on to bigger and better things,” he said.
The win completed a double for Vella, who’d won the Camarena Handicap (1000m) with $1.50 favourite Vella’s Best, ridden by Damon Budler.
The other three features at the meeting went to city or interstate stables. 
In an exciting finish to the Canberra Cup (2000m), the Peter Snowden-trained seven-year-old, Touristic ($9), ridden by Andrew Adkins, won by a short neck from $26 chance Geemes, with well backed favourite Travolta a length and a quarter further away in third place.
The win was the first leg of a running double for Snowden and Adkins, who took the Class 2 plate over 1300 metres with Divine Secrets ($11).
The Canberra Guineas (1400m) saw the Michael Freedman-trained Aerodrome ($12) record a three-quarter-length win over $31 pop Cando Attitude. Regan Bayliss was the winning rider.
In the National Sprint (1400m), Victorian speedster Green Fly ($5.50) prevailed by a short neck under Tim Clark for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Cavs’ clean sweep
The Scone father-daughter stable of Brett and Georgie Cavanough was the big winner at Muswellbrook last Sunday, grabbing both qualification spots in the 1280-metre Hunter & North West Racing Association heat of the Country Championships series. 
Chidiac ($3.20) beat stablemate Fingers Hunter ($10) by a short neck. Mitchell Bell and Luke Rolls were their riders. The Cavanoughs had six runners in the 14-horse field including three longshots who filled the last three spots.
Another Scone stable, that of Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, was expected to win the race with $1.85 favourite Clear Thinking but the import could only finish ninth.
Earlier, yet another Scone trainer, Cameron Crockett, took the Skellatar Sprint Prelude (900m) with $3.70 favourite Durova, ridden by Nick Heywood.
The day wasn’t a total wipeout for Messara and Gavranich, who notched an early double in a Country Boosted Maiden and a Super Maiden with Autumn King and Olympian.
Both are by top-line Arrowfield Stud stallion The Autumn Sun, both were ridden by Victorian visitor Craig Williams and both started odds-on.
Sword too sharp
Last Saturday was cup day at Corowa, where Victorian raider Blazing Sword ($3.30) took the main event over 1600 metres for Bendigo trainer Tim Fitzsimmons. 
The win completed a running double for jockey Blaike McDougall, who’d taken the previous, a benchmark 58, aboard $4.40 favourite Washington for his mother, Albury trainer Donna Scott. 
McDougal shared riding honours for the day with Damon Budler.
Gone too soon
Our condolences to the family of Group 1-winning Newcastle trainer Ben Smith, who has died suddenly at 42. 
Smith trained the winners of 93 races including the Galaxy with In Her Time and the Inglis Sires’ with El Dorado Dreaming, both in 2018.
Big weekend
This Friday is cup day at Armidale in the New England region, with the feature to be run over 1400 metres, reduced from its traditional 1900-metre journey.
Explaining the change, club general manager Michael Timbrell said: “This was not an easy decision for the committee, but times have changed. It makes more sense as a qualifier for the Big Dance.” 
Friday’s main supporting races will be the $35,000 Newmarket Handicap and a $50,000 Super Maiden, both over 1100 metres. 
Provinicial Friday racing is at Kembla Grange for the Group 3 $250,000 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) for three-year-old fillies.
Saturday sees the Crookwell & District Amateur Picnic Race Club hold its annual picnic meeting in the Southern Tablelands, featuring the 1400-metre Funny Hill Picnic Cup. 
The same afternoon at Berrigan, the Finley Autumn Cup will be run over the same trip. 
Sunday sees Dubbo host the $150,000 Western Racing Association Country Championship Qualifier (1400m), supported by a $50,000 Super Maiden and the $30,000 Boot Prelude for two-year-olds, both over 1100 metres. 
The winner of that race will be exempt from any ballot for the $200,000 Wellington Boot (1100m) at the Wellington Showcase meeting on Sunday April 12.