Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb wasn't entirely sure how his Cattleman Cup entrant Bryan's Babe would fare on a firmer course like Wellington's, but the Clayton Gallagher ridden horse made a good attempt at it all the same.
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"We always thought she was a little bit better down there on the softer tracks," Robb told skyracing before the event got underway.
"The track today is not that soft, it's quite firm out there, so we don't how she'll fare on that."
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The favoured mare was considered a good chance of upsetting the strongly favoured I Am Awesome before the event got underway, and nearly proved it in a gruelling back and forth battle with the ultimate winner Crim.
Crim, the Ian Holland trained mare, put in a strong effort under the guidance of veteran jockey Andrew Banks, sticking close to Bryan's Babe as the Nyngan mare led the race, and keeping it lively as the two horses jostled for position in the final straight.
In her last effort at Dubbo, the winner had been lost in the middle of the pack, but showed some serious speed that came good for Holland and Banks in the final stretch at Wellington, putting Crim ahead right before the finish and beating Bryan's Babe to the post by a head.
"She's a good little mare, you just got to work her out, it's been a long process with her," Holland told Sky after the win.
"She's been going alright since I had her, but she's gone off the wall a little bit in her last few starts, so we just had to work her out a bit."
Banks put the victory down to the gutsy effort Crim put in.
"She made me work from about 700 out, we said 'just keep working on her' and I had to work pretty hard on her," Banks said.
"I didn't know if we'd get ahead to be sure, so I just had to throw everything at it."
