Renowned as one of the hardest tacklers and toughest men to ever play rugby league in the Sydney competition, Terry Regan shed tears when his daughter Skye Regan rode her career first winner while later at the same meeting the winning double for local trainer Wayne Prisk destroyed the bookmakers on Saturday at Cobar.
Regan built an enviable reputation when playing for Balmain Tigers, Easts Roosters and Canberra Raiders and later as captain/coach at Cobar Roosters when playing alongside local legend Tommy Good, they formed a combination much feared by opposing teams from the west and central west.
Skye Regan is very proud of her parents Terry Regan and Kylie Gavenlock, the talented and successful Gosford-based trainer.
Her horsemanship skills were learned at the Kylie Gavenlock stables and more recently Skye has become a trackwork rider for popular Gilgandra trainer Kieren Hazelton where she has become a well-liked member of the community.
Very tall for a jockey, Skye has worked hard to control her weight and she started out with rides for Kieren Hazelton at recent picnic meetings.
At the Cobar picnic meeting on Saturday she rode an outstanding race to win the 1,000 metres Cobar Cranes & Great Western Hotel-Open Trophy Handicap on the Jane Clement, Mendooran-trained Chicken Legs.
Given a nice trail behind the leader, Chicken Legs ($2 favourite) wore down Mr Pointer (Tamsin Gough, $7) to win by a half length with Our Celebrity (Michael Gray, $14) over two lengths away in third place.
“I told Dad he can’t deny it because I saw him crying after I won the race,” revealed Skye about the rugby league hard man who later admitted it was a huge thrill to be trackside and see his daughter ride her first winner.
Winning trainer Jane Clement won yet another feature race when taking out the 1,700 metres DJW and Wells Vetilation-Allan Wells Memorial Cobar Picnic Cup with The Great Armada.
Ridden by Amber Collins, The Great Armada ($4) won by over a length from stablemate Proclivity (Skye Regan, $2.50 favourite) and Himeros (Eloise Drews, $4.20).
A winning double for Wayne ‘WAP’ Prisk was well deserved as the Cobar trainer often supplies a truckload of starters for meetings at the more remote events in western NSW while he regularly supports jockeys who battle to get rides.
Tamsin Gough, who had not ridden a winner since the Geurie Picnics last year, made the long trip from the Hunter region and rode the substantially supported outsiders Recovery Road and Mr Invincible very well to land the double for Prisk.
It seemed half the population of the mining town of Cobar was at the races to support their local trainer on Saturday.
Recovery Road (Tamsin Gough, $12) was a bad result for most bookmakers when, after racing with the lead, toughed it out to win by a half neck from Broadcast Boogie (Leandro Ribeiro, $2.40 favourite) and Point To Prove (Ricky Blewitt, $6) in the 1,400 metres Nutrien Russell Conditional Picnic Handicap.
Armed with plenty of ammunition, punters then supplied an avalanche of support including a bet of $300 (paying $4,200) for the Prisk trained Mr Invincible in the 1,400 metres Totally Workwear Dubbo-Erica Chambers Memorial Open Trophy Handicap.
Taking the lead from Ready For Lift Off in the straight, Mr Invincible (Tamsin Gough, $15 to $11) held on to win by almost a length from Blackhill Kitty (Leandro Ribeiro, $3.80) and Ready For Lift Off (Eloise Drews, $7).
Prisk revealed at the trophy presentation he was very much hoping he could win the memorial race as Erica Chambers had been the farrier for his horses.
Leading rider Leandro Ribeiro and premiership winning trainer Connie Greig won the opening race, the 1,000 metres Sullivans Mining & Industrial Class 1 & Maiden Plate with Maryland Bridge ($7) which came from midfield to beat the fast finishing The Drafter (Eloise Drews, $7) and Geewiz Johnny (Tamsin Gough, $15).
Michael Gray, who works in the mine at Hermidale, was aboard the Greg O’Neill, Nyngan-trained Silent Drama ($9) which took the mid race lead and won by over three lengths from Fierce Impulse (Leandro Ribeiro, $5) and Daisy Duck (Amber Collins, $4.80) in the 1,200 metres Cynend Building & Construction Class B Handicap.—Colin Hodges
