It’s on to the Randwick carnival for exciting Kembla three-year-old Barrengarry following his impressive iwn in the 1500-metre benchmark 72 Midway handicap to kick off Golden Slipper day at Rosehill.
Despite being trapped three wide for the entire journey, Barrengarry ($7.50) hit the line hard to win by a half-neck from Tenderize, with My Phar Lady a long head further away in third place. 
“He’s just a beauty. A very nice horse,” said trainer Joseph Ible. “To do that at just his fourth start is very exciting. 
“He looks like he’s still got plenty to learn. He was rolling around in the straight but he kept coming.”
Winning jockey Zac Lloyd, who was headed for one of the biggest days of his career, called Barrengarry “very raw”.
“Physically and ability-wise he’s been ready for better races but mentally he needs racing,” Lloyd said. “Maybe over a bit more ground he’ll be okay but he’s a horse that’s going to get better with racing.”
The Ghaiyyath gelding may get the additional ground Lloyd recommends sooner rather than later. For his next start Ible is tossing up between the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on Saturday week (day one of the Championships) or the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) a fortnight later. Both are restricted to three-year-olds.
 “I was thinking about maybe running him in the Carbine Club or we’ll just go straight to the Frank Packer Plate,” he said. 
“You shouldn’t make decisions on race day but maybe going straight to the 2000 metres of the Packer Plate might be the right thing to do. 
“I can’t wait to see what he can do when we get him up to 2000 metres and beyond. He’s taking the steps and handling everything we ask of him. He keeps getting better and better. 
“Long term, I’m thinking the Queensland Derby (2400m, May 30) might be a good start.”
Kyle repays a favour
Shortly after lble’s win, Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Dodson took out the opening race at Eagle Farm the 1000-metre two-year-olds’ handicap, with first-starter Unloading. 
In a thrilling photo finish, Unloading ($26-$16) displayed plenty of courage under Kyle Wilson-Taylor to win by a nose from the favourite, On The Clock. 
“It was probably one of the special wins of my career,” said Wilson-Taylor on returning to scale. 
“Brett Dodson was my first boss and I went to him when I was 17 years old. 
“I turned up at Coffs Harbour one day and he was kind enough to give me a job. There were plenty of hard mornings and blood, sweat and tears, but he’s the reason I’ve had so much success.”
The win took Dodson somewhat by surprise, he admitted to media. 
“I honestly thought he wasn’t quite ready yet because he’s only had the one trial.”
Roughies to Randwick
The finishing touches were added to Saturday week’s Country Championships Final field with the running of the Southern Wild Card (1400m) at Goulburn last Sunday.
The winner was $31 outsider Graceful Ellen, trained at Canberra by Barbara Joseph with sons Paul and Mark Jones. 
Ridden by Claire Ramsbotham, the mare won by a half-neck from another roughie, Crusader Kings ($21). Both are now qualified for the $1 million Randwick final. 
Earlier on the Goulburn program, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m) went to the Ross McConville-trained Kembla Grange three-year-old Decota, ridden by Brock Ryan. 
In a blanket finish, Decota ($15-$12) won by a half-neck from Capital Babe with odds-on favourite Odin’s Eye a long neck away in third place.
There was a more comfortable Super Maiden winner over 1600 metres at Orange the same afternoon, with the Peter Snowden-trained $1.22 favourite Valentiago coasting home by 2½ lengths under apprentice Zac Waddick. 
The previous afternoon at Warren, two-kilo claiming apprentice Jacob Stiff fared best of the jockeys with a winning double.
Cornucopia of cups
This Friday in the Hunter sees the Muswellbrook Race Club hold its Showcase meeting, featuring the $150,000, Muswellbrook Gold Cup (1500m), a Big Dance eligibility race, supported by the 1000-metre Skellatar Sprint and a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1280 metres. 
Saturday is cup day at Carrathool in the western Riverina and at the Tullibigeal picnics in the central west, with the features over 1400 and 1600 metres respectively. 
Further west, the Broken Hill St Patrick’s Racing Club will hold its annual meeting the same afternoon. The $30,000 Clubs’ NSW Outback Cup (1600m) and the $15,000 Radford Family Outback Sprint (1100m) are the headline acts.