Sport
25 October, 2024
Western Racing Report
Ella Drew won at Bathurst with a bold ride on Parmenia, while Ready Made Doll took the QUBE Agri Dandy Cup at Narromine.
Ella Drew scores runaway win at Bathurst
Raced Tuesday, October 15
Ella Drew scored a runaway win aboard Parmenia after a daring front-running ride last Tuesday (October 15) at Bathurst. Taken to the early lead by Drew, the Carlos Antonio, Muswellbrook-trained Parmenia established a sizeable break on the field in the 1100 metres Benchmark 50 Handicap. While rival jockeys hoped for the leader to weaken noticeably, such was not the case, and Parmenia ($9) maintained the tempo to win by over two lengths from the favourite Perfumist (Ashley Morgan, $1.90 to $1.85) and the well-fancied Negation (Clayton Gallagher, $3).
Formerly from the New Zealand South Island, Ella Drew moved to Australia 15 years ago, and as a mature-age apprentice, began her race riding career this year. Ella Drew (34) has now ridden 17 winners, and highlights have included winning the Barraba Cup on Hemsted for trainer Julia Presits and finishing third on Vincenzo in the Coonamble Gold Cup for trainer Scott Singleton, to whom she is apprenticed.
Another jockey forging a successful career in Australia is Heavelon Van Der Hoven, formerly from Namibia. Now attracting good opportunities from leading Sydney and Provincial stables, Van Der Hoven rode a winning double, Anaisa ($4.60) and Trapeze Legend ($1.90) at Orange for Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, who operate a trainers partnership at Scone and Warwick Farm.
Former successful jockey Pat Murphy also had a winning double as the trainer at Goulburn of The Right Rein and Prince Papa, both well-ridden by apprentice Rebecca Bronett Prag. Finishing strongly along the rails from near the tail of the field, The Right Rein ($6.50) defeated Crusheen Lass (Jaden Lloyd, $6.50 to $3.80 favourite) and Check Your Six (Clayton Gallagher, $5.50) in the 1800 metres Pink October at BTR Class One and Maiden Plate.
Likewise, a patient ride by Rebecca Bronett Prag to bring Prince Papa ($4.60) from last to win the 1300 metres BM 58 Handicap from Geostorm (Robyn Freeman, $11) and Chesteray (Ella Drew, $4).
Fresh from winning the Dubbo Gold Cup on Sneak Preview, jockey Kody Nestor combined with Dubbo trainer Brett Robb to win the 1200 metres Rich and Rumble Group Country Boosted Maiden Handicap with Star Intrigue. Owned by Paul and Bindi Frampton from Merriwa, Star Intrigue ($9.50) led all the way to win by over three lengths from Kuroshinzo (Ashley Morgan, $3.10 fav.) and the strong-finishing Trust A Kitty (Siena Grima, $4.20 to $3.30).
Hard to beat when he brings horses from his Hawkesbury stables, Brad Widdup won the 1400 metres Breast Cancer Awareness Month Maiden Plate with Dubai Dame ($3.30 fav.) ridden by Jaden Lloyd. The Bathurst club is working hard to build up attendances, and the well-appointed upstairs area proved popular on Tuesday.
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Ready Made Doll a popular local winner at Narromine
Raced Saturday, October 19
Kylie Kennedy is the owner and trainer of the horse, her sister is the race club secretary, her mother tends the beautiful rose gardens, her father is a fellow trainer, and her partner is the trackwork rider and racecourse curator, so it was a popular result for the locals when Ready Made Doll won the feature race in front of a big crowd on Saturday at Narromine.
Halfway down the straight, there were several winning chances in the 1600 metres QUBE Agri Dandy Cup; however, with Georgina McDonnell in the saddle, Ready Made Doll ($21) came from last in the big field with a powerful run down the outside to score by over a length from Cheeky Nugget (Olivia Dalton, $12) and Pacific Warrior (Leeshelle Small, $7).
Georgina McDonnell is riding in great form since moving back to Dubbo, with another recent feature win being on Castlebar Road in the Crystal Sprint at Coonamble.
Apprentice jockey Lauren Van Tijn, who had ridden two winners prior to Saturday, doubled her career tally with a double, Brave Max and Loud, at Narromine. In the opening event, the leader Platinum Warrior (Kody Nestor, $2.10 favourite) was overhauled and beaten a head by the Jeremy Sylvester, Cessnock-trained Brave Max (Lauren Van Tijn, $6.50), with Dervinia (Clayton Gallagher, $3) in third place.
Clayton Gallagher later succumbed to an injury, and Lauren Van Tijn became the replacement rider on the Peter Reynolds, Dubbo-trained Loud in the 1100 metres Macquarie Valley Fuels Benchmark 58 Handicap. Darting through an opening near the inside, Loud ($4.40) won by a short neck from Gypsy Power (Zoe Hunt, $2.90 favourite), while Slush Fund (Kody Nestor, $4.20) ran on well for third.
Before missing later rides due to injury, Clayton Gallagher won the 800 metres Three Rivers Machinery Case IH Benchmark 58 Handicap on the Brett Thompson, Gulgong-trained Cumboogle. After taking the lead from Zequel, Cumboogle ($3.50) held off Can Do It (Cobi Vitler, $11) by a half-length with Zequel (Kody Nestor, $3.70) a long neck away third.
The first leg of a double for trainer Brett Thompson was Sorrento Palace ($2.40 fav.), which wore down Specula (Kody Nestor, $2.80) to win by a half-head, with Brandywine (Georgina McDonnell, $15) third in the 1100 metres Narromine Hardware Maiden Plate.
While Dubbo trainer Brett Robb was at Randwick on Saturday with Gallant Star, a strong-finishing sixth in the $2,000,000 Kosciusko, he was represented at Narromine by Rothgate, the winner of the 1200 metres Narromine Shire-Shop Local Class One Handicap. Near last early, Rothgate (Kody Nestor, $3.40) swept around the field before the home turn and won by a long neck from Hammering Away (Clayton Gallagher, $3.20 fav.) and Moon Zone (Georgina McDonnell, $5).
