Humping the 68kg topweight, Double Halo was responsible for a gallant performance when winning the $8,000 Royal Hotel Condobolin Picnic Cup (1400m) for the second year in succession on Saturday.
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Trained by the 81-year-old veteran Bruce Parker from Gilgandra, Double Halo was ridden to victory by premier picnics jockey Ricky Blewitt, of Narromine, who had recently spent five months out with a broken writst.
Blewitt guided the nine-year-old black gelding Double Halo to her 14th win and pushed her prizemoney past the $240,000 mark.
Pressured for the lead from the 1000m by Bemiles, Double Halo ($2.80 favourite) fought hard in the straight for a one-length win over Sergeant Bilko (Simone Vella, $4.60) with Bemiles (Shannon Fogg, $4) holding on for third.
Racing well at recent TAB meetings, four-year-old grey gelding Mr Swift was a stylish winner of the Condobolin RSL Open Handicap (1000m).
Ridden by Shannon Fogg for Condobolin trainer Mark Ward, Mr Swift ($2.30 favourite) swept around the field approaching the home turn and scored by nearly four lengths from Miss Mellencamp (Katelyn Jenkinson, $5) and Fettlers Boot (Samara Johnson, $7).
Another popular win for the locals was Dublin Dan owned by Brent, Simone and Luke Grimmond and trained at Condobolin by their father, Graham Grimmond. The $2.20 favourite won from Invincible Halo and Vouloir.
