Well backed $2.70 favourite Cantiamo gave connections and punters some anxious moments before claiming the major end of the prizemoney in last Saturday’s 1200-metre benchmark 78 for fillies and amres at Randwick. 
The three-year-old, trained at Newcastle by Kris Lees and ridden by Jason Collett, was caught up in traffic for much of the straight before charging through late to nail Ernaux, who’d looked to have the race won. 
“It’s good to get a Saturday win with her,” Lees said. “She’s a really nice filly and it was a good win. 
“I didn’t think she was going to win at the (200 metres) but she got a lovely run through from Jason and got there on the line. 
“Going into the race we were thinking of going back to 1100 metres but we’ll have a chat with Jase and see which path we take.”
 Cantiamo now has four wins from eight starts, with all four defeats coming in black-type company.
Lees later completed a two-state metro double when Cloudland ($9) took out the 1200-metre Kokoda Cup under apprentice Ben Osmond. 
In a thrilling finish, the seven-year-old got up by a half-head from short-priced favourite About To Explode. 
On the same program, Canberra trainer Nick Olive and Murwillumbah’s Matthew Dunn also led in winners. 
Olive took out the $160,000 listed Princess Stakes for three-year-old fillies with Spicy Lu ($6), ridden by apprentice, Coriah Keatings, while Dunn picked up the 1600-metre benchmark 78 with $20 pop Nodachi, ridden by Jake Bayliss. 
Around the traps
At Gosford’s Anzac Day meeting, Warwick Farm-based Matthew Smith fared best of the trainers, leading in a winning double.
At Bathurst the same day, Amy McLucas rode a winning double but the horses to follow out of the meeting could be lndi Springs and Trooper. 
Trooper ($2.70 favourite), trained at Canberra by Natalie Jarvis and ridden by Damon Budler, won the 1200-metre Class 1 by six lengths while three-year-old filly lndi Springs ($1.45 favourite) won her 1100-metre maiden by 4¼ lengths under Jake Pracey-Holmes for Mudgee’s Mack Griffith.
On Sunday at Port Macquarie, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1200m) saw a three-way go at the finish, with three-year-old Rockbarton Marshal ($8) getting the nod at his second race start. 
The winner is trained at Newcastle by David Atkins and was ridden by Ben Looker. 
Later, in the 1500-metre benchmark 58, the three-year-old Nikody’s Binks caused a $41 boilover by careering away to a 5¼-length win under Raymond Spokes for local trainer Peter Cheers. 
The gelding had been beaten nearly nine lengths at each of its previous two starts.
The following day’s Anzac public holiday saw Scone trainer Scott Singleton pick up the 1300-metre Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap on Randwick’s Kensington track with $2 favourite Lord Remlap, who got up by a head under Mikayla Weir. 
At Goulburn on Monday, local trainer Haylee Day took out the 1300-metre Country Boosted Maiden with Kirwans Bridge, ridden by Jean Van Overmeire. 
The winner, who started a well backed $2.45 favourite, romped away to a four-length win.
Country cornucopia
This Friday sees the Murrumbidgee Turf Club host the climax of the Wagga carnival, highlighted by the running of the listed $200,000 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m), supported by the $200,000 Inglis Challenge (1200m) for two-year-olds, the $80,000 benchmark 74 MTC Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds, the $75,000 benchmark 66 Queen of the South (1400m) for fillies and mares and a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1200 metres.
Also on Friday, the Muswellbrook Race Club holds a Showcase meeting featuring a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1000 metres and the $35,000 Godolphin Tiara, a benchmark 74 over 1450 metres for fillies and mares.
Saturday sees all eyes on Hawkesbury for the club’s annual metropolitan meeting, featuring the Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m), the Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) for three-year-olds and the Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) for fillies and mares, each feature a Group 3 worth $250,000.
Saturday is also cup day at Binnaway in the central west and at the Boorowa picnics in the Hilltops region, with the cups over 1300 and 1700 metres respectively
Sunday’s Dubbo card features a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1200 metres.