With opportunities in Victoria last weekend decimated by washouts at Gunbower and Murtoa, several district trainers crossed the NSW border in search of glory.
One of those was Wangaratta trainer Craig Weeding, who made the meeting at Cootamundra on Sunday his main target for the weekend and was rewarded for doing so.   
His four-year-old Bivouac mare Brave Summit ($4.80) broke through in the 1100-metre maiden at just her second start, in the hands of Blaike McDougall.  
A few races later Weeding was successful again in the benchmark 66 over the same trip with $2.50 favourite Paparazzo, with McDougall again in the saddle.  
An admirably honest five-year-old by Holler from Shutter Bug, Paparazzo has now had 19 starts for three wins, eight seconds and a third. His owners include Ashley Plant, son of the late Seymour trainer Ray. 
Weeding had to settle for second in the day’s feature, the Cootamundra Cup (1600m), with another reliable conveyance in Fox Appeal.
The seven-year-old Foxwedge gelding, who started a $3.50 favourite, has now had 51 starts for eight wins, nine seconds, 12 thirds and $239,645 in earnings.
Dual joy for Dale
Another Wangaratta trainer, Andrew Dale, crossed the border the day before to win the 1200-metre maiden at Wagga with $9.50 chance I’ve Forgotten, the three-year-old North Pacific gelding breaking his maiden at his sixth start.  
Victorian jockey Cory Parish made the trip to guide the horse to victory by a comfortable 1¼ lengths, completing a double after taking a 1675-metre benchmark 50 earlier on the card on $3.70 favourite Sunroe for local trainer Doug Gorrel.  
On Sunday Dale headed to Victoria’s only surviving country meeting for the weekend, at Bendigo, with Brenlyn’s Legacy.  
In a hard-fought finish to the 1100-metre benchmark 66, Brenlyn’s Legacy ($6.50) gave apprentice Holly Durnan her 99th career winner.