"Dusty Warrior is by no means a gentleman and can be a real old flea at times," Beuzeville laughed.

"Luke Pepper hadn't been on him before and rode Dusty Warrior really well."

Sweepers Dream (John Mills, $6.00) established a big lead in the cup but was eventually overhauled and beaten one and a quarter lengths by Dusty Warrior ($2.00, 2.30 fav).

Attempting back-to-back Orange Picnic Cup wins, Emerald Park (Stuart Brown, $3.00) was a close third.

Dusty Warrior is raced by Beuzeville, Bob Byrne, Reg Beuzeville, Neil Johnson and Margaret Johnson.

Completing a big day for the Beuzeville stable and Canberra jockey Pepper, Kawaree won the Orange City Centre Class 3 Handicap (1600m).

From midfield, Kawaree ($3.50 fav) surged home to score by a half length from Racer's Charm (John Mills, $4.60) with Fidd Green (Ashley Boyd, $10.00) in third place.

Due to start work next week as a school principal at Grenfell, Andrew Hooper is a part-owner of Kawaree.

Originally from Forbes, Hooper had been a school principal at Yenda where he encouraged several publicans to share in the ownership of Kawaree.

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Most of the syndicate members who race Vanity Plain travelled from Sydney to see the mare win the Hotel Canobolas Boree Ladies Bracelet Class 3 Handicap (1000m) at Orange.

Trevor Singer, Catherine McDonald, Jim Everitt, Stewart Pound, Mick Wells, Tracey Lindsay and Darren Woods socialise at the Family Inn Hotel, Rydalmere and have a number of horses trained at Orange by Darryl McCabe.

Shirley Lloyd from Orange also shares ownership of Vanity Plain which had won the previous start, at Orange, on New Year's Day.

After setting the pace on Saturday, Vanity Plain (Ben Duggan, $5.50, 4.60) held on to beat the fast-finishing Divine Wind (Tim Phillips, $2.40, 1.80, 2.50 fav) by half a length with Blow Bubbles (Stuart Brown, $3.60) running third.

Vanity Plain was bred by Cobber Webb from Orange.

o o o

Trainer Darryl McCabe almost landed a double in the following race, the Tablelands Podiatry-Frank Gleeson Physiotherapy Class 1 Handicap (1000m) when Mill Pond (Ben Duggan, $8.00) finished strongly but was beaten a head by Signs Of Thunder.

Trained at Cowra by Michael Murphy, Signs Of Thunder (Robert Anderson, $15.00, 17.00) led all the way and was a good result for bookmakers.

o o o

Back from the South Pacific, Ken and Robyn Watson have settled on a property at Binda where Ken trains Cyber Force, winner of the Onesteel Metaland Maiden Plate (1000m) at Orange.

The former Orange-based couple spent several years in Vanuatu and New Guinea as managers of cattle properties.

Ken Watson was also the horse unit manager at Orange agricultural college.

Ridden by Kristy Phipps from Scone, Cyber Force ($5.00, 8.00) breezed along in front and won by over four lengths from The Bilby (Luke Pepper, $2.70, 2.50 fav) and Risha (Stuart Brown, $6.00).

o o o

Stuart Brown from Forbes failed in his attempt to win the Orange Picnic Cup for the third successive time on Saturday when Emerald Park finished third.

Brown however had success in the Williams Machin Maiden Plate (1000m) on Elliott's Dancer for Coonamble trainer Robbie Harrison.

In a desperate finish, the pacemaker Elliott's Dancer ($3.50) lasted to win by a nose from Sir Quizzical (Ben Duggan, $3.80) with Weona Wally (John Mills, $3.20 fav) in third place.

Elliott's Dancer is raced by the breeders, George McHugh (Coonamble) and Jim McHugh (Lucknow).

o o o

Racing in the Central West this week will feature the Bathurst Cup next Sunday and the Wellington meeting on Australia Day, Wednesday January 26.