The disappointment felt by supporters when Double Halo became a last minute scratching at Condobolin was forgotten when the veteran galloper took out Saturday’s Liberty Rural-Tottenham Picnic Cup (1400m).
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A bus load of owners and fans had travelled from Gilgandra to see Double Halo attempt a third successive win in the Condobolin Picnic Cup on February 24, however the ten year old gelding became fractious in the barriers and had to be withdrawn.
There was no such drama on Saturday, where a fine frontrunning ride from Ricky Blewitt saw Double Halo ($6) score a convincing three-quarters-of-a-length win from Butterfly Sky (Wesley Boyd, $15), trained at Dubbo by Connie Greig, and Debbie Prest’s Edge Of Madness (Michael Gray, $26).
Trained at Gilgandra by 82-year-old Bruce Parker, Double Halo has the imposing record of 16 wins and 28 placings from 106 starts.
While Double Halo is a veteran, rookie jockey Ridge Wilson travelled to Tottenham as a 17-year-old he but he wasn’t daunted by the occasion either.
The Inverell-based jockey won his first race as a jockey, taking out the Goodsell’s Machinery Class 1 Handicap (1200m) on the Colleen Thurston-trained Coop ‘N’ Demp.
Wilson got Coop ‘N’ Demp ($4.60) in front and held on to win by two lengths from Madison Gardens (Madison Wright ,$2.40 favourite) and Getting Ready (Katie Spalding ,$10).
Katie Spalding, formerly from England, rode the well-supported outsider Stat Man to a strong win in the Reece Potter Memorial Class B Handicap (1400m) for Tullibigeal trainer Craig Tyack.
Now raced by the Frankel family after coming from Victoria, Stat Man ($14) overhauled Matt Maneuver (Ricky Blewitt, $10) to score by more than a length with Jaroda Choice (Michael Gray, $15) finishing third.
Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb and stable jockey Madison Wright followed their recent run of success with a winning double at Tottenham in the shape of Bulbadah and Lulu’s Destiny, both owned by David and Heather Ringland from Dubbo.
A winner at a Parkes TAB meet when resuming from a spell, Lulu’s Destiny then won the Bedgerebong Picnic Cup and completed the treble when justifying the $1.60 favouritism and powering past the opposition at Tottenham to beat Drummed Out (Ricky Blewitt, $3.50) and Raheen Lady (Michael Wade, $11) in the EMS Group feature sprint over 1000 metres.
Earlier, Bulbadah ($4.60) had overtaken stablemate Ace Lightning (Daniel Stanley, $2.30 fav.) in the last stride to win the Class 3 Handicap (800m).
Trained at Parkes by George Wright, Wake Up Cass ($3.20) was the first leg of a winning double for Narromine jockey Ricky Blewitt when leading throughout to beat All Good (Michael Wade, $18) and Buster’s Princess (Madison Wright, $1.80 fav.) in the Rob Weber Memorial Maiden Handicap (1000m).
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
