IT was great to see Roly Saxton back in the race-day saddle after what must have been a very frustrating month for him, and he rode at all three of the regional meetings last week, firstly at Canberra on Friday, Gundagai on Sunday and Nowra on Monday.
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It was a tough day for all five of our Moruya runners who made the trip to Canberra on Friday.
Roly’s only ride on the day was on Emma Longmire’s Goulburn-based Friday Jewel in the Class One mile where Chicka Pearson’s Reggae Man was also a runner in the field of eight.
Reggae Man battled on bravely up the straight, just missing a placing to finish a close fifth with Roly’s mount just behind.
Lynda Bundy, Luke Pepper and Wade Mathie were our other trainers with runners at the meeting, all returning home without placing.
Attention then turned to Gundagai on Sunday where nine Moruya runners took part across the eight-race card, with John Marzol having six of them, Wade Mathie with two and Luke Pepper with one.
The meeting opened with a Maiden Plate over 1400m and it was Wade Mathie’s Bella Mist, who ran the best race of her now thirteen-race career, when flying home from well back at the turn to claim a brilliant neck second placing at big odds, and was as close as it gets to breaking the Maiden status, without doing so.
John’s Camillus, ridden by Roly, made his debut in the following Maiden (1000m) sprint, carrying top weight of 59kg from an inside gate.
The debut could not have been more impressive, with Camillus holding the lead in the run at a good pace, and up the straight, until getting caught very late by Trevor Sutherland’s Speed ‘N’ Reef, to be relegated to a brilliant half-length second at the post.
He looks like one to follow and I’ll be keen to see his next start.
Wade Mathie’s other runner Yeeha ran an encouraging fourth in the Maiden (1180m) sprint under the urgings of the very talented young female apprentice Chynna Marston.
Roly rode Goulburn-based Hussonet Song to a one length third in the Benchmark 55 (1800m) distance event, improving his position all the way up the straight. John’s pair, Drama Lodge and Daryl, both ran in the day’s feature a Benchmark 65 (1400m) race, both finishing just behind the placegetters.
Our focus then turned to Nowra on Monday where eleven Moruya runners stepped out across the seven-event card conducted on a heavy-eight rated surface, despite several days of good weather preceding the meeting, the track not enjoying the wonderful draining qualities of our own Moruya course.
The meeting opened with a Maiden (1200m) race with John Marzol’s Double Drama, with Roly aboard, in the field of eleven starters.
The mare was also accepted for the Gundagai meeting but John had decided that Nowra was the better option and it certainly worked out that way.
She has been improving with each run in her four-start career and started a $23.50 long shot on the tote.
She settled midfield on the fence in the run and as all in front of her at the corner fanned out at the turn Roly used the cutaway in the straight to maximum advantage, getting to the lead and holding it strongly to the line for a very promising one-length victory.
It was a very well planned result.
Roly rode Braidwood-based Fabulous Dragon for a close second in the Class One (1400m) event and finished a close third on Queanbeyan-based Sheazali at big odds in the Benchmark 55 mile after leading for most of the race.
Debi-Lee Saxton’s pair, Bengello and Rushman, both ridden by Roly, finished just behind the placings in their respective events.
Moruya trainers bookended the meeting when Chris Hensler’s old marvel Jayko took the length of the straight to reel in the leader, but got there in the last stride to claim victory, by a head on the line, in a very exciting finish to the Benchmark 50 (1100m) sprint.
We usually see Jayko lead but he settled just behind the leaders to unwind up the straight.
This was another well planned result which required a perfectly-timed ride, miraculously not using the whip once up the straight.
Well done to Chris and to Chynna Marston for what I thought was the ride of the week.
Jessie Whipp is making a different debut of sorts on Saturday night, that being in the boxing ring at the Inglis Randwick stables, where she takes on Kathy O’Hara on a celebrity fundraising night for charity, much publicised on the racing networks.
We must all say a little prayer tonight for the pair’s safety and a win to Jessie – the ladies have been sparring together in preparation for the big event.
Until next week, good luck and good punting.