Five-year-old mare Blue Channel prevailed in the final drive to the line to win the $12,000 Dunk Insurance Enngonia Cup in front of a strong crowd at Enngonia on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Blue Channel ($1.80 favourite) was given a good run behind the leaders in the 1400m feature by apprentice Clayton Gallagher and finished best to win by a neck from stablemate Relaxed (Rasit Yetimova, $3.40) with De Villiers (Chelsea Ings, $3.50) a handy third.
Blue Channel is bred and owned by John Smith of Gilgrandra and he and the late Kate Smith also owned the mare's mother, Belfast Babe.
Robb and his apprentice Gallagher also won the Benchmark 45 Handicap (1200m) with Dead Reckoning ($4), which was pulled wide turning for home and swept to a half-length win over Bowie's Boy (Chelsea Ings, $8) and Bendie Boy (Michael Heagney, $2.50 fav).
RELATED:
Backing up from a good fourth in the recent $50,000 Picnic Championship Final at Dubbo, the Garry Bignell-trained Another Plan (Michael Heagney, $1.80 fav.) won by more than seven lengths in the Class 2 Handicap (1400m) from Work And Chat (Clayton Gallagher, $3.20) and Orezira (Jeff Kehoe, $3.50).
Earlier, Nyngan trainer Bignell saw Hi My Girl (Michael Heagney, $2 equal favourite) track the leaders before scoring an easy win in the WD Ridge & RA Ridge Class 1 and Maiden Plate (1600m) from Orgetorix (Jeff Kehoe, $5) and Queen Majesty (Rhonda Mangan, $5).
Bathurst-based jockey Chelsea Ings and Coonabarabran trainer Graham Brooker combined to win the Maiden Plate (1100m) with Bowconi ($6), coming from third on the final turn to beat She's Sizzling (Michael Heagney, $2 fav.) and Supreme Confidence (Jeff Kehoe, $2.60 fav.).
Trained at Menindee by Wayne Marsden, smart sprinter Three Rar (Jeff Kehoe, $2.60 equal fav.) led throughout to win the Landmark Walsh Hughes Benchmark 50 Handicap (1000m) by more than three lengths from Bee Double Bee (Clayton Gallagher, $2.60 Eula fav.) and Another Weapon (Michael Heagney, $5).
