Wayne Marsden travels vast distances from his home at Menindee in the state's far west to race his small team and it was a deserved reward when he won the Packy's Kanga Hire Nyngan Picnic Cup on Saturday with Late Return.
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Hawkesbury based Michael Wade also made a long trip to take the ride and settled his mount midfield with Jawsome racing to a big lead in the 1250m feature which attracted a handy field.
Fifth around the home turn, Late Return ($8) came down the outside to win by more than two lengths from I Am Dynamic (Ricky Blewitt, $4.50) and Drummed Out (Alexandre Lemarie, $6.50).
Brazilian born Leandro Ribeiro, competing at his first race meeting in Australia, rode a winning double at Nyngan.
He saluted with Eagleworks for Dubbo trainer Connie Greig after taking out the opening event on Mendonsa Kiss for Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb.
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A strong finishing third to Praline and Dawnstar at a Dubbo TAB meeting last week, Eagleworks (Ribeiro, $3 favourite) was in a handy position turning for home at Nyngan and was a decisive winner by more than four lengths from What Diddy Say (Maddison Wright, $6) and Not Negotiating (Brent Evans, $4.40) in the Nyngan Newsagency Class B Handicap (1250m).
Medonsa was part of a double for Robb at his home track, the other win coming with the tough Thermosa.
Resuming from a break, Thermosa (Wright, $1.35 favourite) humped the 71kg top weight and led all the way to score by more five lengths from Squared (Ribeiro, $9.50) and Still Undaunted (Lemarie, $3.80) in the Giles Engineering Open Trophy Handicap (900m).
Last season Thermosa was awarded the Horse Of The Year title for the Western Racing Association.
Other winners on the day were the Mark Schmetzer-trained Militray Bay and Dusktilldawn from the Dubbo stables of Garry Lunn.
Scone-based Schmetzer had plenty to celebrate on Saturday as he won the Highway Handicap at Royal Randwick with $41 outsider Leo and the Coolabah Goat Co Class 2 Handicap (900m) at Nyngan with Military Bay.
Ashley Boyd had Military Bay ($4.40) in a good spot behind the leaders before breaking clear to beat Pullman Brown (Wayne Wheatley, $7.50) and Policy (Wright, $3.20).
Well ridden by Blewitt, the Lunn-trained Dusktilldawn ($3.20) went from last early to second on the final turn then cleared out to beat Wilburglen (Ribeiro, $2.30 fav.) and Small Dream (Wright, $6.50) in the Nyngan RSL Class 1 Handicap (1600m).