Stable rep Victoria Appleby was full of praise for Braith Nock after the apprentice steered Bella Khadijah to a hard-fought win in last Saturday’s 1400-metre Midway Handicap at Randwick for Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup.
Bella Khadijah ($14-$11) got up by a short head from Phyxius, with John Thompson-trained favourite Flying Embers a further head away third. 
It was the winner’s second Midway success. She won a 1500-metre edition of the series at Hawkesbury on May 2 at her previous start. 
“When she was a bit tardy away she was going to need a lot of things to go her way and that was an excellent ride from Braith,” Appleby said. 
“He showed patience beyond his years. Every decision he made in the race was the right choice.”
For his part, Nock described the Pierata mare as “a bit of a handful”. 
“She didn’t really want to take part in the race for around the first 400 metres so I allowed her to find her feet and we ended up last. 
“At around the 800m she switched on and started to take me where I needed to go and we pinched a couple of runs along the inside. 
“Early in the straight I was close to Nash (Rawiller)’s back (on Flying Embers), and so I was able to quicken away and she kept building all the way to the line.” 
Flying Embers lost no admirers in running third, a gallant effort with top weight of 60kg on a track rated soft 7.
In the following race at Randwick, the 1200-metre Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap, $3.20 favourite Exit Fee just held off the challenge of second favourite Wayburn to win by a head. 
The winner is trained at Goulburn by Danny Williams and was ridden by Adam Hyeronimus.
Punters’ pal
It was a bumper weekend for Aaron Bullock, who followed a winning double at Newcastle on Saturday with a four-timer on Sunday’s Gunnedah Cup card.
All six of Bullock’s winners started favourite, and he saved the best for last by winning on Tavros ($1.35) in the $40,000 Gunnedah Cup (1600m) for Tamworth trainer Craig Martin.
Bullock didn’t have a ride in the day’s other feature, the $35,000 Gunnedah Lightning (1000m), won by apprentice Gabrielle Johnston for Mendooran trainer Jane Clement on Chanon Star ($12).
That completed a productive weekend too for Clement and Johnston, who’d combined to win the previous day’s Cobar Cup (1700m) with $2.70 favourite The Great Armada. 
Trainer Nikki Pollock and jockey Madeline Owen combined for a double at the Cobar meeting. 
The same afternoon in the state’s north, the 1400-metre Moree Picnic Cup went to Thiem ($3.60), ridden by Eloise Drews for Beaudesert trainer Jimmy Downes. 
The win brought up a double for Drews. 
The previous race, the 950-metre Moree Bracelet, went to $1.80 favourite Connewarre, ridden by Ashley Boyd for Inverell trainer Wayne Oaknfull. 
At Nowra last Sunday Pierre Boudvillain took the riding honours with a double.
Coming attractions
This Friday the country-cups circuits heads to the Northern Rivers  for the $45,000 Beef Week Cup (1400m) at Casino. 
On an eight-race program, the two main supporting races will be the $50,000 Super Maiden (1200m) and the $30,000 Casino Flying (1000m). 
Sunday’s Muswellbrook meeting features the $30,000 Shorty Cribb Aberdeen Cup (1280m), a $50,000 Super Maiden (1280m), the $27,000 Stayers Cup (2300m) and the $30,000 Greg Cribb Memorial Red Crown (900m) for two-year-olds.