The campaign to qualify Austin for the $50,000 Picnic Championship Final at Dubbo in September received a boost when the Rodney Robb-trained galloper won the O'Brien Winter Partners Marthaguy Picnic Cup (1400m) at Quambone on Saturday.
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Austin won the Championship last year but is presently well down the list in the qualifying pointscore for the 2019 final.
Ridden by leading picnic jockey Maddison Wright, Austin ($2 favourite) led all the way at Quambone, north-west of Nyngan, to score by more than two lengths from Free Ticket (Steven Kehoe, $3) and Track Flash (Ridge Wilson, $2.10).
Maddison Wright, who travelled from Moruya on the far south coast, also won on Orezira and Knight's Honour.
Part owned by Moree bookmaker Terry Picone and trained by Nyngan-based Robb, Orezira ($1.80 fav.) broke the track record when winning the Elwyn Andrews Memorial Maiden Plate (1100m) by more than seven lengths from Bedlam (Steven Kehoe, $2) and Ticket To El Aye (Angela Taylor, $3.50).
Decades set the pace in the Bronco Lunn Shearing Class 2 Handicap (1200m) before Wright and the Peter 'Wacky' Pennell, Carinda trained Knight's Honour ($1.80 fav.) finished best.
Marpenny (Rowena Dillon, $3.50) and Decades (Steven Kehoe, $2) were second and third.
Steven Kehoe rode his career first winner when the Michael Denison, Coonamble trained Dragon Bells won the Quambone Sundowner Hotel & Roo Shooters Class 3 Handicap (800m).
Folkestone (Rowena Dillon, $2 equal favourite) was the leader but veered wide on the hometurn and eventually finished third, less than a length behind Dragon Bells ($5) and Work And Chat (Ridge Wilson, $11).
On the same day Steven Kehoe won on Dragon Bells at Quambone, his father Jeff Kehoe won on Three Rar at the Cobar meeting.
Trainer Luke Berger and jockey Ridge Wilson, both from Inverell, combined to win the IOR Petroleum Class 1 Handicap (1400m) with Onemore For Wilson ($6) which travelled behind the leaders before winning by more than two lengths from Bowie's Boy (Steven Kehoe, $6) and Timeless Melody (Alan Barton, $10).
