Clayton Gallagher couldn’t have been much happier on Sunday afternoon.
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Shortly after seeing Rodney Robb, the trainer he’s apprenticed to, take out the inaugural $50,000 Picnic Championship Final the jockey piloted Brazen to victory in the day’s main event, the Dubbo Gold Cup.
In a win which the jockey said will “help put my name out there”, Gallagher got a perfect run along to rails to ensure the Cup will head to the Scone stables of Brett Cavanough.
Gallagher has only just returned after travelling around racetracks in Western Australia with Robb and victory in the $60,000 feature was a perfect welcome home present.
“It was a really big thrill. I’ve been away on the trip for six weeks so to come back home and win the Cup is a great thrill,” he said.
“I got a beautiful run in behind them and the luck was there and I took the gun run that was there for me and it was great.”
There was pain for Dubbo trainer and main hometown hope Clint Lundholm, looking to back up after winning a Highway event at Randwick on Saturday, as Dreadlock had to settle for another second-placed finish.
The tough five-year-old led the way early and into the bend for home but eventually had to settle for the 11th second-placed finish in his 17-start career.
Dreadlock ($5.50) had done all the work and held off a tiring Shedule ($2.45 favourite) but it was Brazen who came up along the rails to win by a third-of-a-length.
Brazen had earlier jumped from two and settled third behind the more-fancied Dreadlock and Schedule.
Cavanough wasn’t on hand to celebrate, he was laid low with illness at home, but Stephanie Alexander from his stables was delighted a horse which has only joined their team recently performed so well.
“We haven’t had him for very long but it’s nice to get a run like this in the first run for the new owners,” she said, the five-year-old coming from the Warwick Farm stables of Joseph Pride.
“We were quietly confident. He’s a nice horse and should have run well but we’d only had the one run with him but it was nice to come here and see him win.
“It was a very ride. It was a gun run.”
Gallagher was also proud of his victory and was hopeful the success would lead to more feature bookings in the future.
“Winning the Cup puts your name out there. A lot of people are watching this live and for them to see that will help me and hopefully they (rides) keep coming.”
Brazen now has five wins from 20 starts.