Since the last issue of Track Watch on the Friday before Christmas, we have been blessed with three wonderful race meetings conducted at the Moruya Jockey Club, all with huge community support from our regional racing fraternity and visiting holiday-makers alike, all televised live nationally. 

We can all be proud of the product.

So, for the historical record, I’ll highlight the success stories for our local trainers at those three meetings, all run in perfect weather conditions on a brilliantly-prepared home track, starting with the huge Christmas Community Cup meeting on Sunday, December 21.

On this magnificent “Saddle-Up-Sunday” eight-event TAB program, patrons watched local horses and trainers dominate proceedings with five winners on the day.

John Law’s Yarragee Road certainly looked one to follow when winning the Maiden Sprint (920m) by half a length on debut as the first of our victors.

Then Debi-Lee Saxton’s Lighthouse impressed again with a strong win, completing his hat-trick from his first three starts when taking out the Class 2 (1010m) sprint, with Roly Saxton aboard again, by a half-length on the line after rounding up the entire field in the straight.

Wade Mathie’s Bella Mist broke her maiden status at her 16th start when winning the Maiden Plate (1300m) by almost a length. 

John Peiti’s Brown Bob went down by a nose on the line to                                                visitor Noverre Man in the Benchmark 55 (1425m) event, and Matt Stephens’ New Vogue won the Class 1 (1300m) event by a nose.

Luke Pepper’s Quichang held off all challengers to take out the feature Community Christmas Cup by almost a length from a strong field of runners, at double-figure odds, to round out a very successful day for our local runners.

The second of our highlight meetings was the Narooma Cup on Monday, January 5, where despite being considerably outnumbered by the visitors our Moruya home-track horses recorded four wins on the eight-race card, as well as two close second placings.

Our four winners were Joe Ible’s Vision And Verse, breaking her maiden status in her seventh start in the Maiden (1425m) Plate by about five-lengths, Lynda Bundy’s Jacakaizane, ridden by Neil Perryman, who won the Narooma Town Plate (1200m) at remarkable double-figure odds, Mark Macdonald’s Abishadow, ridden by Roly, and Brett Jones’ Macks Cutie in the Benchmark 60 (1425m) event which closed the day’s racing.

Bede Murray’s Kembla Grange visitor Life Of Reilly took out the 2015 Narooma Cup and had Tommy Berry in the saddle.

Our third big meeting was the Moruya Cup meeting on Monday where three Moruya runners returned to the mounting yard as winners on the eight-event program.

Lynda Bundy’s Jacakaizane made it a Narooma Town Plate and Moruya Town Plate double when taking out the Town Plate (1435m) by an impressive clear four-length margin. 

Mark Macdonald’s Abishadow also completed a running double when it took out the Class three (1435m) event, and Joe Ible’s Rush To Judgement ended the day with an emphatic win in the Benchmark 60 mile.

Steve Englebrecht’s Warwick Farm visitor Retort Courteous won the Moruya Cup (2000m), having been prepared for the race with a recent Warwick Farm barrier trial win a few weeks ago when ridden by Jessie Whipp, adding a little local flavour to the victory.

Our next meeting to round out a magnificent summer of Moruya racing is on February 20.

In other regional news, we had four Moruya winners at the seven-event TAB meeting at the Sapphire Coast track on January 2, and we’ll have a host of runners returning there for its two-day Bega Cup carnival on January 31 and February 1 (Cup day).

From this week, this column will move to a fortnightly timetable for the time being.

Until then, good luck and good punting as always