Murwillmbah trainer Matthew Dunn continues to close in on his Highway half-century, bringing up his 47th in the TAB Highway series with Wayburn at Rosehill last Saturday.
“Matt will be chuffed with that,” said stable representative Holly Julius after Wayburn ($3.90) took the 1200-metre Class 3 by two lengths. 
“Matt said to go forward but he didn’t jump the best so Nash (Rawiller) took him back then weaved through the field and he was too good for them.”
For his part, Rawiller was impressed with Wayburn’s progress at the third start of his campaign.
“His first two starts this time in were really good but he just weakened the last 100 metres. Today, stepping up 100 metres and having a good space between runs, he was dominant. 
“Matt and the team have obviously done a great job with him because he turned up in good order. We’ve had a terrific combination over the last two or three years now so I’m glad to keep it going.”
Fun all the way
Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle was full of praise for jockey Tim Clark after the win of Funshow ($13) in last Saturday’s benchmark 72 for three- and four-year-olds over 1500 metres at Rosehill.
Clark sent Funshow straight to the front and never looked in danger of defeat, recording a 1¼-length win over the dead-heaters Barking Mad and Sponars. 
“He outrode them,” declared Doyle. “You could see with the way he got to the front and gave him a few easy sections. 
“Then around the corner he really got going for home on him. He pinched a margin and that was the difference in the end. 
“All credit goes to Timmy. It was on the corner where he won the race.” 
Funshow, a four-year-old, has now recorded three wins and four placings from his seven career starts. 
“He was a big dumb bugger in the early days but he looked too good and moved too good to be no good, so we’ve just been patient with him, gelded him and took our time. Now we’re seeing the results,” Doyle said. 
Clark said Funshow “floated across beautifully” from barrier seven.
“When I asked him to sprint off the turn I knew where James was (James McDonald on odds-on favourite Columbus) and I thought I might be able to zip away, expecting his horse to want further. 
“I thought from there, it was going to take a decent one to run me down the way he’d built underneath me. 
“The only concern was that he’d had a gap between runs and how strong he was going to be at the back end of the race but he had a nice breather mid-race to be strong late.”
The out-of-town raiders weren’t done with yet either. 
In the final race on the program, the 1100-metre benchmark 78, Annie’s Rose  took full advantage of barrier one in recording a length win for Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan and jockey Reece Jones.
The mare was officially backed in from $17 to $11 on the day, but as much as $51 was bet when markets opened. 
Around the traps
Newcastle’s Nathan Doyle completed a big day with two winners at his home track on Saturday to go with his Rosehill success. Jean Van Overmeire rode both his Newcastle winners. 
To the west, at the Gilgandra meeting, the feature Collie Cup (1280m) went to new-season 10-year-old Castlebar Road ($4.20), trained at Mendooran by Jane Clement and ridden by apprentice Gabrielle Johnston. In a thrilling finish, the veteran scored by a head from Shaggy Rogers with Delrico a half-length away in third place.
Sunday’s 1600-metre Forbes Cup saw another thriller, with Voracious ($7.50)getting up for Mudgee trainer Mack Griffith by a long head from Flying From Above.
Van Overmeire was the winning rider and finished with four wins on the eight-race program including another for Griffith. 
Earlier, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1300m) saw a comfortable win for Damon Budler on $2.25 favourite Restless Spirit, trained at Canberra by Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden.
At Wyong the same afternoon veteran Randwick trainer Ron Quinton had two winners including the impressive Fleet Flyer in an 1100-metre Class 1 by just over five lengths. It was an impressive win by the Gerry Harvey-owned Zoustar mare, who was resuming from a spell. She looks set for a productive preparation.
Coming attractions
This Friday sees the Coffs Harbour Racing Club conduct its Country Showcase meeting featuring the $150,000 Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m), a Big Dance eligibility race. On what promises to be a great afternoon of racing, the main supporting races will be the $50,000 Daniel Baker Showcase Sprint (1200m), the $50,000 Ken Howard Showcase Cup (2000m) and the $50,000 Super Maiden (1000m).
Saturday is cup day at Casino and Louth, with the features over 1400 and 2000 metres respectively. The races at Louth, a tiny village 99km from Bourke in the state’s north west, are always popular.
On Sunday at Wagga, the 2500-metre Riverina Cup takes centre stage, supported by a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1400 metres.