THE Leonard family have a long association with racing in Coonamble and another hometown win came when Tick The Box took out the Conex Services Maiden Handicap (1400m) at the TAB meeting on Saturday.
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A promising galloper from the Clint Lundholm stable at Dubbo, Tick The Box jumped from barrier six as a $4.80 chance with Kody Nestor on board.
The three-year-old, owned by Mr and Mrs Stan Leonard, was third from last early on but soon began to make his way through the field.
As the field rounded the bend for home Nestor still had plenty of work to do but in the end he made it look easy.
Tick The Box showed great power to mow down the field and win by two-and-a-third lengths from Over The Ocean (Clayton Gallagher, $31) and Alamein Avenue (Michael Hackett, $26).
The win was Tick The Box's first in nine attempts.
Lundholm, himself formerly of Coonamble, also won the Kevin Hunt Carpentry Class 3 Handicap (1400m) with Farewell Julia.
A horse raced by the trainer and several of his mates, Farewell Julia ($3.50) was well ridden by Parkes jockey Michael Hackett and tracked the leaders before running home gamely to beat One Double (Darren Jones, $5) and Unsinkable (Kody Nestor, $5.50).
Three starts prior, Farewell Julia had finished third in the $100,000 Country Championship Heat won by Something Borrowed at Dubbo Turf Club.
Capping a big day for Coonamble connections, the final event, the Sons Of The Soil Hotel Class 2 Handicap (1100m), was won by the Joe Hodgson-trained Vision Retract.
With Dubbo-based apprentice Crystal Conning aboard, Vision Retract ($17) came from back in the field and rushed down the outside to defeat Litigation (Jake Pracey- Holmes, $6) and Brilliant Sunset (Aaron Sweeney, $3.50 favourite).
An encouraging third at Cowra was followed by an easy win at Coonamble for the Cecil Maxwell, Wellington trained Cheeky in the 1200m Will Landers Tyres Maiden Plate.
Cheeky (Daniel Pitomac, $8) led throughout to score by over two lengths from Track Flash (Darren Jones, $5) and Brienne Of Tarth (Alan Chau, $9).
Dungiven (Melanie Bolwell, $11) won the Coonamble Concrete Benchmark 55 Handicap (1200m) for Moree trainer Peter Sinclair while the H J & A Wiatkowski Electrical Benchmark 55 Handicap (1600m) was won by the Michelle Fleming, Tamworth trained Cash To Splash (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $17). As well as Bathurst on Tuesday, there is also racing this week at Brewarrina on Saturday and Dubbo on Sunday.
