Connie Greig, the winner of the NSW Picnic Trainers Premiership last season, was off to a flying start for the 2021/2022 title when winning four of the five races on the Cobar Picnic Cup program on Satur-day.
The only race to evade the Dubbo trainer was the opening event in which she did not have a starter.
Sydney-based, Brazilian born Leandro Ri-beiro (who won the NSW Picnic Jockeys Premiership) rode three of the Greig winners on Saturday—Individualist, Pahang and Merdeka (in the Cup) while Wayne Wheatley won on Brooklyn Star.
Prior to the Connie Greig onslaught, Cobar trainer Wayne ‘Wap’ Prisk had a popular win with Rewardus in the opening event, the 1,000 metres Sullivan’s Mining And Industri-al Maiden Plate.
A good helper for the Cobar club, Prisk was very happy when his mare Rewardus (at $11 and with Narromine-based Ricky Blewitt in the saddle) led all the way to win by two lengths from the $1.60 favourite Leopard-wood (Will Stanley) and Sarojini (Wheatley, $7).
The feature race winner for Connie Greig was Merdeka in the 1,700 metres Allan Wells Memorial– DJW & Wells Ventilation Cobar Picnic Cup.
Over the closing stages, Merdeka (Ribeiro, $4) wore down Hamoon Sweetheart (Michael Wade, $5) to score by a head with Knee Slap-per (Blewitt, $2.70) after leading earlier, hold-ing on for third.
The first of the Greig/Ribeiro winners was Individualist ($3.20) which, from last early, then ran home strongly along the rails to ac-count for the leader Magic Smile (Stanley, $7) and Let Him Fly (Blewitt, $2.50 fav.) in the 1,000 metres Cynend Building & Con-struction Class B Handicap.
In the 1,400 metres Nutrien Russell Class B Handicap, Hoffy’s Dream (Michael Gray, $4) led until close to home when overhauled and beaten a half length by Pahang (Ribeiro, $2 fav) with Run Callan Run (Stanley, $4) filling third place.
Brooklyn Star (Wheatley, $6) shook off Rogue Runner after the pair had led by five lengths before winning the 1,200 metres Co-bar Cranes Sprint Trophy Handicap by over two lengths from stablemate Billy Bent Ear (Ribeiro, $2.60 fav.) and Pyrmont (Blewitt, $3.60).—Colin Hodges