When Comzig saluted early on during Tuesday's meeting at Bathurst, Garry Lunn was almost certain it would be the first leg of a winning double.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
What he didn't expect was for Nightspun to be the second of those winners.
Lunn took a strong team to Tyers Park but his strongest chance, on paper and in the trainer's mind, was Bemboka in the Harvest Benchmark 58 Handicap (2008m).
Lunn had three hopes in that event but it was Bemboka who started on the second line of betting at $3.80 after a win at Tamworth and placings at Orange and Dubbo in recent starts.
RELATED:
Greg Ryan and Bemboka were forced deep early and then had to move to the extreme outside as the field rounded the bend for home, but it appeared the win was still there for the taking.
However, the win came from right along the rails as $26 outsider Nightpsun, ridden by Winona Costin, made the most of a cushy run to power to victory by three-quarters-of-a-length.
It was a Dubbo trifecta as Connie Greig's Bel Attrait ($26) was pipped for second while Bemboka ran home for third.
"I thought the other horse (Bemboka) would win but he got carted wide and had no luck," Lunn told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"If he sits he probably gets the run she (Nightpsun) got but it's just the luck of the run.
"They're all fit these horses and run well. This old mare, on her day she can just gallop and has about won $200,000 in prizemoney so she's no slow coach."
The last time Costin rode Nightpsun it resulted in a tenth-placed finish at the Bathurst track but she felt enough promise that day to tell Lunn a win wasn't far off.
It proved correct as the seven-year-old mare won at Dubbo next start and the effort on Tuesday takes her record to seven wins and 19 placings in 72 career starts.
Interestingly, it was the second time Nightpsun had upset stablemate Bemboka in recent times after also getting the better of the pair when winning at Dubbo.
With a shortage of events across more than 2000m in the area, Lunn stated he expects to give Nightspun one more run before contesting the 2400m Iron Horse event at Wellington on April 6.
The win by Nightspun followed that of Comzig in the Watermart Maiden Plate (1808m).
The $17 hope was ridden to a narrow win by Billy Cray after sitting midfield for much of the journey.
Do you want to keep up to date with sport in the Dubbo region? Sign up to our daily newsletter here:
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.
