The $22,000 Cup Prelude (1624m) was won by back from injury local gelding Chalcedony, Wyong trainer Kristen Buchanan had two wins and and a half-head second with only three runners and jockey Grant Buckley booted home three winners.

It was a great day of racing on the heavy 8 rated track which played fair, although the running rail was out five metres, at Taree Wingham Race Club’s eight-race meeting, the next two days of the carnival being August 19 and 21 ($80,000 cup over 2000m). 

Five-year-old gelding Chalcedony ($4.40), trained by Matthew Robinson and ridden by Ben Looker, came from ninth, took a split just before the winning post, to score by a half-length to earn a free from ballot start in the cup.

But Robinson is not convinced that his galloper, which had been spelled twice prior to this campaign after suffering leg injuries, is suited by the distance of the cup.

He is more keen to start Chalcedony in the $30,000 Hopkins Livermore Cup, a feature of the August 19 TAB meeting, as it is over a more suitable 1400m.

“This horse has always shown potential and he got a beautiful run through the field today to score,’’ he said.

“When Ben went to the fence I could have killed him but things worked out well.”

It was Robinson’s first win since Mosgiel Ruby scored on March 15 and as for Buchanan her first since Dr Kimble won at Kembla on May 3.

She hasn’t given up hope of having a cup starter after newcomer to her stable, lightly-raced five-year-old gelding Plushenko ($13), ridden by Port Macquarie apprentice Melinda Graham, scored a dogged just under a length win in the Taree Cup Weekend August 19 and 21 Benchmark 55 Handicap over 2030m.

“I will have to talk to the owners,” said Buchanan who would love to have a cup starter after having Lucky Liaison run second in a previous cup.

If Plushenko fails to get a cup start,she is likely to start the galloper in a 2000m event on August 19 at Taree.

“I love Taree racing,” she said, no doubt enthused by earlier scoring with three-year-old former Western Australian gelding Echo Effect ($3.80) in the Direct Charge & Polamore @ Stud 3YO Maiden over 1012m and just failing by a half-head with mare Oakfield Sunrise ($6) behind Cessnock three-year-old colt Dalmatia Prince ($3),trained by Todd Howlett and ridden by Buckley, in the Oxley Island Thoroughbreds Maiden Plate over 1319m.

Dalmatia Prince was under pressure and was immature but Buckley did a good job to land the $40,000 galloper a winner for part-owners Paul Tomlin and Ben Summerville who were relieved to have the win at its third start.

Echo Effect scored stylishly in coming from mid-field for jockey Paul King and was a relief win for Buchanan who has had a virus through her stables.

Buckley also scored on Wyong mare Miss Faith ($3.80), trained by Jeff Englebrecht, which swooped wide out for a length win in the Taree Cup Calcutta Dinner-August 20 Class 1 Handicap over 1265m,and on Hawkesbury four-year-old gelding Sweet Fella ($4.20), trained by Garry Frazer, which scored easily by four lengths in the Taree Kia Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1265m.

Buckley has had a winning treble before at Taree and predicted more wins in provincial class for Sweet Fella.

As for Miss Faith: “I had a nice sit and the horse did the rest.”

Wyong trainer Allan Denham gave Hall Of Fame jockey Robert Thompson riding instructions to try and get four-year-old mare Calibra ($1.50) to settle, which she did, with her scoring untouched by six lengths in the Taree Gold Cup-August 21 Maiden Handicap over 1624m.

When offered the perception that it was an “easy” win,Thompson replied: “I had to carry it”, then said she was “a bit too good.”

The other winner (by 1.5 lengths) on the card was five-year-old mare Christmas Commands ($7), trained at Newcastle by Jason Deamer and ridden by Andrew Gibbons, which led all the way in the Stacks Law Firm Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1012m.

I will preview the next two meetings of the carnival at Taree in Friday,August 19’s edition.