EX-Kiwi ,Randwick trainer John Sargent’s first foray to Bushland Drive Racecourse for Taree Wingham Race Club’s TAB meeting resulted in a win with his first starter on the track, promising three-year-old filly Cilla ($2.90), in the Taree Cup Calcutta Dinner—August 20 Benchmark 65 Handicap over 2018m.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now it is in the realms of possibility that she may return for the $80,000 Taree Gold Cup over 2000m, on Sunday, August 21.
Cilla’s winning jockey Blake Spriggs and Sargent’s raceday foreman Gareth McRae thought the race would be ideal should Sargent pursue a start.
With only two career wins in 10 starts, Cilla might not make the field for the Open Quality Handicap but could ensure a start by winning the $22,000 Taree Cup Prelude over 1600m at the club’s next TAB meeting on August 9.
There is an added bonus in winning the Taree Cup by being exempt from ballot for the $160,000 Wyong Gold Cup over 2100m on September 2.
Spriggs said it was “a tribute to the Sarg” to have the filly winning again after pulling a muscle prior to taking on an Oaks field early in the year after coming from New Zealand after only two starts there.
“I am confident she would be competitive if he wanted her to come here (for the cup).”
McRae also echoed those sentiments saying: “She has a good record at the distance,the track suits and Blake gave her a lovely trip.
“She has taken time to settle in,she will be better next preparation,and I hope she keeps going good.”
Sargent moved to Australia 2.5 years ago and Cilla was his 37th winner this season for prizemoney of about $1,160,000.
A concerted betting plunge on Port Macquarie mare Dynamic Balance ($6 to $3.50), trained by Neil Godbolt, wasn’t helped when she was again slow away at the start before finishing fourth.
Cilla was given the run of the race in a trailing position to score by 1.5 lengths from Newcastle’s Strike Me Lucky ($10), with just under a length to Samsili from Coffs Harbour.
Visiting stables won seven of the eight races but Wyong trainer Allan Kehoe was the toast of the town for 11 owners from Taree-Wingham when three-year-old gelding Epic Dan, a brother to multiple city winner Get On The Grange, came back from a throat operation to score by a short head for jockey Grant Buckley in the Prime News Entires & Geldings Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1312m.
Epic Dan ($7.50) won its first race at Kempsey, was having its seventh start, led by about four lengths at the top of the straight and just held on from Newcastle gelding Buddy’s Ode ($3.40).
Martin Bates heads the large syndicate of family and friends with he and two others in Epic Dan also owning Get On The Grange which may also be Taree Cup bound.
The sole local winner was three-year-old gelding Macquidez ($2.50), trained by Michael Byers and ridden by Robert Thompson,who had a winning double on Wyong gelding Bandit Bay ($8), in the Saxbys 3YO”S & Upward Maiden 1312m.
Byers said the win for owner Denise McGrath was long overdue after some unlucky runs, its last one when boxed up behind the leaders at the track for second.
Six-year-old gelding Bandit Bay, trained and part-owned by Norman Rogers, scored by a half length in the Taree Gold Cup-August 21-Benchmark 59 Handicap over 1614m. He missed training a winning double by a nose when filly Alaskan Wolf ($3.40) was unlucky when beaten by Nick On The Run ($8), trained by Paul Perry and ridden by Aaron Bullock,in the 2RE Live Local & Loving It Class 3 Handicap over 1007m.
Alaskan Wolf was going four four wins from four starts at the track whereas the winner was the second for the trainer-jockey combination,they also landing a concerted betting plunge ($4.60 to $2.20) when two-year-old gelding Eyezoff scored in a class record on the soft seven track in the Manning River Times 2YO Maiden Handicap over 1257m.
The other winners on the card were Pinot Gris ($10), trained by Les Tilley from Wyong and ridden by Andrew Gibbons,and Musical Family ($13), trained by another Wyong mentor Wayne Seelin and ridden by Jeff Kehoe.