Twilight races

Purchased in 2020 for only $600, the now seven- year-old mare, Not Negotiating took her prizemoney earnings to more than $150,000 when winning the feature race on Friday at Warren. Trained at Wellington by Peter W Stanley, Not Negotiating had Peter’s daughter, the Bathurst based apprentice, Ashleigh Stanley in the saddle when beating a classy field in the 1400-metres Nutrien Ag Solutions Benchmark 74 Handicap.

Ashleigh produced an outstanding ride in the big race with Not Negotiating near last when turning for home where Larynx, The Long Run, and Great Buy were the leaders. Pushed through narrow openings on the rails by Stanley, Not Negotiating (at $10) hit the lead close to home to win by almost a length from Praline (Tony Cavallo at $4.40) and Larynx (Clayton Gallagher, the $3.40 favourite).

Off the scene for two-and-a-half years, the eight- year-old gelding, Listen To The Band, made a brilliant return to racing as a runaway winner of the 1000-metres Western Farm Machinery Maiden Handicap at the Warren meet. At its initial three starts in 2020, Listen To The Band had run second at Wellington and Bathurst, and fifth at Mudgee. Now trained at Dubbo by Clint Lundholm, Listen To The Band, had been set for a first up win at Warren and was backed in from $6.50 to be the $3 favourite.

Sent straight to the lead by rider Jake Pracey- Holmes, Listen To The Band breezed home a full five-lengths clear of Acey (Chelsea Hillier at $8.50) and Lockdown Lad (Kacie Adams at $81). Bred by the late Jack Cover from Mudgee, Listen To The Band, is part-owned by his son, John, who also worked for the late Guy Walter, the trainer of numerous champion gallopers. “I am proud to have the pale pink and yellow-striped colours used by some of the Guy Walter family”, he said.

Completing a double at the meet for Clint Lundholm and Jake Pracey-Holmes, Lady Lucilla (at $9) led throughout in beating Zachariah (Will Stanley at $8) and the fast-finishing Stone (Tony Cavallo at $21) in the 1200-metres Business DNA Class One Handicap.

Talented apprentice, Shayleigh Ingelse, who recently transferred from the Kris Lees stable at Newcastle to Brett Thompson at Gulgong, was quickly off the mark for her new boss in winning the 1200-metres Gold Acres and Sprayer Barn Maiden Plate on the horse, Jade Division. Raced by Rodger and Nerida Atkinson from Yeoval, Jade Division (at $11) was nicely-positioned midfield by Ingelse, who then took control to win by three- lengths from Sallista (Tony Cavallo at $4.40) and Divine Entity (Michael Heagney at $5).

Another apprentice currently riding well, is Dubbo- based Jake Barrett who overcame a wide barrier on the Brett Robb-trained No Debt to lead most of the way when winning the 1000-metres Australian Food and Fibre Benchmark 50 Handicap from Latest News (James Rogers at $21) and Inferno Miss (Kacie Adams at $4.20).

Carrying the orange-and-black colours of the David Baxter MacQuarie Stud at Wellington, the Garry Lunn, Dubbo-trained Allchosen (Brooke Stower at $7) was an all-the-way winner in the 1600- metres Coopers Farm Gear Class One and Maiden Plate from Chowdah (Billy Cray, the $3.10 favourite) and Individualist (Clayton Gallagher at $4).

A powerful ride by Gallagher, however, saw the Wayne Collison, Narromine-trained Planet Ex (the $3.40 favourite) come from fourth on the home turn, to beat Sin City Belle (Hollie Hull at $4.80) and Aisle Six (Billy Cray at $12) in the 1400-metres MCC Hydraulics Benchmark 50 Handicap.