THE heavens opened at Tyers Park on Tuesday but one man who didn’t have his spirits dampened was Warwick Farm trainer Graham Brown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That’s because Brown’s gelding Elle A Walking stormed home to victory in the $30,000 feature Bathurst RSL Club Soldier’s Saddle (1,400 metres).
Elle A Walking ($4.40) drew level with leader Campfire ($5) with 200m left to run and raced away for jockey Jess Taylor in the closing strides, winning by two lengths.
Smokey's Joy ($3.10 favourite) finished third a further two and a half lengths off the pace.
"It was a beautiful, excellent ride from Jess. She did a great job," Brown said.
"We got the start we planned for, it was good."
Brown said his winning Tickets x Secret Walk four-year-old had enjoyed a promising lead up to the annual ANZAC Day Bathurst feature.
“He was a bit stiff at Goulburn the other day when he ran into trouble and got fifth,” he said.
“Before that he ran second and he had won at here and Orange.”
Campfire got a perfect start from out wide to take up the running.
The rest of the eight-horse field followed in a straight line. Smart Attire was next ahead of Elle A Walking, Heavenly Mum, Emerald Fortune and Smokey’s Joy.
The two home-city hopes, Paul Theobald’s Tiger’s Story and Dean Mirfin’s Super Pig, sat at the tail of the field.
Mathew Cahill took Campfire two lengths clear with 600m to run.
Elle A Walking drew up to the inside of Greg Ryan on Smart Attire and the pair quickly reeled Campfire’s margin back as the field straightened for home.
Heavenly Mum was not far away as she was attempted to go four-wide around the leaders.
Smokey’s Joy still had plenty of work to do but was looking to save ground with a rails run.
Plenty of horses were still in the hunt on the home straight but at the 300m mark the race for the home city runners was certainly done and dusted.
Super Pig failed to get his ideal jump to the front of field and did not have the turn of foot to challenge the leaders. Tiger’s Story couldn’t match the pace when it shifted up a notch.
At the front of the field the battle was heating up. Smokey’s Joy started to gain ground on the inside but wasn’t able to offer up a challenge to Campfire or Elle A Walking.
Smart Attire had looked like a big winning hope on the top of the straight but dropped out of the hunt at the 200m.
It was at that point Elle A Walking made the winning dash, pulling clear of Campfire and claiming his second victory at Tyers Park in the process.