▪ Photo courtesy of Klae McGuinness Photography
Melbourne-based jockey Rhonda Mangan made the long trip to the Cobar Miners Race Club meeting on Saturday worthwhile by winning the KML Industries-Buckman Family Memorial Benchmark 50 Handicap (1,200 metres) for Cobar trainer Wayne Prisk.
Jawsome ($3.80) took the early lead and held on to beat Minamahal (Jeff Kehoe, $5) and Divine Design (Payne, $6).
There was a big crowd at Cobar and plenty were cheering as Jawsome is raced by the 12 member Cobar Camels Racing syndicate.
Jarrod Marsden, president of the Cobar Miners Race Club, is also the manager of the Cobar Camels syndicate.
Making the most of opportunities from the Connie Greig stable at Dubbo, jockey Rasit Yetimova rode a winning double on Saturday including Naoko in the $12,000 Westpac Cobar Cup.
Queensland visitor She’s Tidy set the pace in the 1,700 metres Cup from Royal Abbey and the $1.90 favourite Rusty Motorbike, with Naoko settling midfield. Coming with a well timed run, Naoko ($4.20) grabbed the lead close to home and won by a half neck from She’s Tidy (Jeff Kehoe, $6) with over four lengths to the third placed Sorry I’m Awesome (Rhiannon Payne, $4.40).
Purest ($8), the first leg of the double for Greig and Yetimova, finished strongly from the back of the field to win the Sullivans-Dr Allan Brady Memorial Class 2 Handicap (1,370 metres) from Engaging (Payne, $4) and Late Return (Ken Dunbar, $2.40 favourite).
Orange trainer Michael Plummer and former Queensland jockey Rhiannon Payne, after their second with Engaging, then won the Broughton Field Services-George Booth Memorial Maiden Plate (1,000 metres) with Spicy Menu ($2.60 fav.) which fought off a challenge from the Wangaratta, Victorian-trained Bella Shadow (Tiffany Jeffries, $5), with Steph’s Wish (Dunbar, $3.40) running third.
Three Rar, the winner of the 1,100 metres Yanda Art-Lou Simon Memorial Benchmark 58 Handicap is also owned by Jarrod Marsden.
Ridden by Kehoe and trained at Menindee by Jarrod’s father Wayne Marsden, Three Rar ($9) led all the way to beat stablemate Vonnida (Mangan, $2 fav.) and Felicette (Yetimova, $4.20).
Parkes jockey Tiffany Jeffries gave the Mick Loftus, Tullibigeal-trained Better Strike ($8) a good run behind the duelling leaders and Better Strike speared through a gap to beat She’s Pretty Zippy (Mangan, $3.50) and Jack Junior (Kehoe, $3 fav.). in the 1,200 metres Landmark Russell-Vinty Delaney Memorial Class 1 Handicap.—Colin Hodges
