Plectrum wins the annual Binnaway Cup

Coonabarabran trainer Graeme Brooker and Orange-based jockey Chelsea Ings have combined for yet another feature race win with veteran galloper Plectrum, this time on Saturday in the 1300 metres Exchange Hotel and Jack O’Brien Binnaway Cup.

The now nine-year-old gelding Plectrum came to the central west in late 2019 after two wins on north coast tracks and has since won another six races for Graeme Brooker with Chelsea Ings being the winning rider on five occasions including the cups at Carinda, Walgett and Binnaway.

Plectrum took the early front running from Searchlight at Binnaway and that pair established a big lead over the rest of the seven-horse field. Starting the $10 rank outsider, Plectrum maintained a good tempo to win by almost a length from Searchlight (Shayleigh Ingelse, $4.40) with another four lengths to third placed Order Of Merit (Andrew Banks, $5). “Plectrum is at his best when allowed to roll along in front”, winning jockey Chelsea Ings explained.

James Rogers is now working full-time for Kieren Hazelton and he won on Orreza for the Gilgandra trainer in the opening race at Binnaway, the 1000 metres Maiden Plate. Breaking clear in the straight, Orreza won by nearly two lengths from Outback Pat (Hollie Hull, $8) and Sniper’s Byline (Shayleigh Ingelse, $3.50). Billy Cray is like James Rogers formerly from England and he won the following race on Jarmanagic for Dubbo trainer Garry Lunn.

Jarmanagic ($2.50 favourite) took the lead from Japingka halfway down the straight and won by a length from Grenado (Chelsea Hillier, $3.50) and Adviser (Kelsey Lenton, $3). Bringing up a double for Garry Lunn, Weave That Web (Shayleigh Ingelse, $1.90 fav.) raced to a big early lead and kept going strongly to win the 1700 metres Benchmark 45 Handicap by over five lengths from Subuki (Jayden Barrie, $2.50) and Torrid Affair (Chelsea Ings, $6).

Flying Foxy (Shayleigh Ingelse, $4) travelled well in the lead however was overhauled and beaten threequarters of a length by Tandem (Ronald Simpson, $2 fav.) with Starlink ( Vad Bolozhinskyi, $4.40) coming from a long last for third in the 1200 metres Class Two Handicap. Geoff O’Brien who trains Tandem at Quirindi was reared at Binnaway and recalls as a 12-yearold having his first ride on a racehorse one morning on the Binnaway track for the late Colin Easey, a long time successful local trainer.

The 1300 metres Dennis Frater Memorial Maiden Handicap was taken out by the Luke Pepper, Scone-trained Mean Girls (Will Stanley, $3.80) which took the lead turning for home from Sensei Jacky then shot away to score by four lengths from Perseptina (Andrew Banks, $3.50) and Conversations (Chelsea Hillier, $3.80). The Binnaway track handled the almost constant rain exceptionally well. Although only hosting a race meeting once a year, Binnaway is one of the better tracks in the central west.