Naoko keeps Cobar track record intact

Nine year old chestnut mare, Naoko,
maintained a perfect record at the Cobar
Miners Race Club track when winning the
WesTrac Cobar Cup on Saturday for Dubbo
trainer Connie Greig.
Over 1,700 metres, Naoko has won in succession
the 2020 Cobar Cup, 2020 Cobar Picnic
Cup and 2021 Cobar Cup.
Bathurst-based Chelsea Ings was the winning
jockey on Saturday and played a major
role with a patient ride.
Monterey Magic and Chicago Nights shared
the lead from the favourite Lucienne while
Naoko had an easy time at the tail of the field.
With a strong run down the outside Naoko
($2.70) raced past Chicago Nights (Bradley
Vale, $6) to score by over a length with Lucienne
(Clayton Gallagher, $2) over six lengths
away third.
Naoko has now won 10 races and been
placed 25 times from 116 starts.
The first leg of a winning double for Ings
was the Michael Plummer, Narromine-trained
Cherry Pie in the 1,200 metres Vinty Delaney
Memorial Class 1 Handicap.
Cherry Pie ($6) tackled the leaders halfway
down the straight and broke clear to win by
almost two lengths from Cheselbeach
(Gallagher, $1.75 favourite) and Orezira
(Vale, $4.40). Gallagher rode the other three
winners, Bray and Travstar for trainer Brett
Robb, who moved from Nyngan to Dubbo this
week, and Rebecca’s Quest for Menindee
trainer Wayne Marsden.
Raced by a syndicate from Tottenham Picnic
Race Club, Bray ($3.20) reached the lead turning
for home and was a convincing winner
from Well Decorated (Ings, $13) and Late
Return (Vale, $8) in the 1,200 metres Buckman
Family Benchmark 50 Handicap.
Owned by Val Wray from Nyngan, the Brett
Robb trained Travstar ($1.80 fav.) was given a
nice run behind the leaders by Gallagher and
won by over a length from the Wayne Prisk,
Cobar-trained pair Cinders (Nyssa Burrells,
$3.80) and Miss Cran (Angela Cooper, $15) in
the 1,000 metres George Booth Memorial
Maiden Plate.
Making it five wins from the last six starts,
Rebecca’s Quest ($2.10 fav.) carried the 61kg
top weight when taking control in the straight
to win the 1,000 metres Brady Family Memorial
Benchmark 58 Handicap from Meteor’s
Man (Elissa Meredith, $4) and Vonnida
(Burrells, $6).
Outstanding improvements to the facilities at
the Cobar racecourse were appreciated by the
big crowd [which was estimated to be 1,500
people].—Colin Hodges