AFTER a long absence, Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb returned to one of his favourite racetracks on Saturday to win four races at Enngonia.
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Like many others Rodney Robb has been very disappointed to witness the misfortunes experienced by the hardworking Enngonia Race Club committee over recent years.
Due to severe drought Enngonia didn't race in 2009 and then ironically the 2010, 2011 and 2012 annual meetings were all washed out.
A big crowd attended the 2013 meeting to enjoy the resurgence of racing at Enngonia, situated almost 100km north of Bourke.
Rodney Robb's four winners included the $9000 Clyde Agriculture Enngonia Cup (1600 metres) with Platinum Touch, ridden by Meg Hoey.
Apprenticed to Robb, Meg is an outstanding talent and after only five career winners is being hailed as a future star jockey by keen judges. Her three winning rides at Enngonia were brilliant exhibitions including her cup win on Platinum Touch.
Given a charmed run behind the pacemaker Zigzan, Platinum Touch ($3.00) was able to get home ahead over stablemate Azarax (Joe Saiki, $2.70 fav) with Cobar Cup winner Teraset (Martin Haley, $3.20) a handy third. In the Benchmark 55 Handicap (1000 metres), the Rodney Robb-trained Blades Of Glory (Meg Hoey, $3.00 fav) gained a dream rails run to dash clear for a convincing win over Maximum Vision (Daniel Northey, $6.00) and Waljai (Jeff Kehoe, $7.00).
Meg Hoey also saved significant ground with a rails run on Atabar ($2.40 fav) to win the Benchmark 45 Handicap (1200 metres) from stablemate Turbo Boy (Joe Saiki, $6.00) and Benny Blue Eyes (Kacie Chater, $5.00).
First leg of the Rodney Robb quartet of winners was Annie Be Good in the Malcolm Robinson Memorial Maiden Plate (1100 metres).
It was another quinella for the Robb stable with Annie Be Good (Joe Saiki $3.80) beating Pandora Miss (Meg Hoey, $3.20) and I'm A Snip (Martin Haley, $2.10 fav).
Pandora Miss looked the likely winner 50 metres out but faltered and pulled up lame.
Apprentice Martin Haley, who rode three winners in the Wauchope and Port Macquarie area before transferring to the George Wright stable at Parkes, had his first winner in the western region when successful on the Wright trained Schnippy Schnappy in the Maiden Handicap (1400 metres).
Well handled in the lead, Schnippy Schnappy ($2.50 eq fav) was a four-lengths winner over Saturday (Daniel Northey, $4.80) and Bettabee (Kacie Chater, $8.00).
