PORT Macquarie apprentice jockey Cejay Graham added another win to her New South Wales premiership aspirations in scoring on mare Jemily in a heat of the Rising Star Series at Manning Valley Race Club’s TAB meeting at Taree on Monday.
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The five-year-old mare, trained at Port by Glen Hodge and part-owned by Peter and Lesley White from Camden Haven, was backed from $25 to $13 and had a half-head to spare on the finishing line in the Saxbys Flavoured Soft Drinks Benchmark 69 Handicap over 1007m.
It was a brilliant ride by Graham who came from last, weaved the mare through a miracle gap 60m out, to snatch victory from Taree gelding Akamin ($51), trained by Matthew Robinson.
It gave her 33 wins for the season, four away from leader Patrick Scorse, despite spending three months away from the track nursing an injury from a race accident.
“Cejay rides all our horses and she does a great job,” Peter White said.
Hodge said that Jemily’s pattern of racing was to be slow away but once rolling gave plenty.
The race was supposed to be the more suitable 1100m at Port Macquarie but when the meeting was re-scheduled for the Bushland Drive Racecourse, the distance was reduced.
Rain led to some vital scratchings with the track being a heavy eight but trainers and jockeys were surprised at how well the surface played, all runners having their chance with backmarkers and leaders winning.
Port trainer Neil Godbolt was happy with the track as the rain resulted in seven scratchings (many of the favoured brigade) from the Wingham Cup on June 1st Open Handicap over 1614m and this helped his six-year-old gelding Dixie Lad ($4.40), ridden by Terry Treichel to return to the winner’s list.
“He got the mile for the first time in the right conditions,” Godbolt said.
“It has been a long time between drinks but the sting out of the ground helped.”
Dixie Lad was given a cosy ride just behind the pace and scored by just under a half-length from Chalcedony ($6.50), another from the Robinson stable in the six-horse race.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees had a couple of short-priced favourites but it was left to four-year-old gelding Unbridled Power ($2.25), ridden a treat by Aaron Bullock, to give him a just under a length win in the Manning Valley Businessman’s Day on June 8 Class 2 Handicap over 1411m.
Bullock said: “I had all the favours in the run…he put him self there and it was all over.”
It was a big meeting for breeder Tim Hughes and his associates as he had two wins by different trainers.
His first was three-year-old filly Northern Lights ($6), ridden by Andew Gibbons, in the Taree Leagues Sports Club 3YO Maiden Plate over 1007m, she being very green but richly talented from the Wyong stable of Kim Waugh, scoring by nearly three lengths at its first start.
No sooner had he and friends enjoyed the hospitality of the club that they watched a close relative of the first winner, three-year-old filly Tootz ($4.80), trained by Newcastle’s Benjamin Smith and ridden by Chad Lever, also score by nearly three lengths in the Taree Cup Weekend 17-19 Class 1 Handicap over 1007m.
Smith said: “Tim is having a bit of luck.”
Five-year-old gelding Mister Maker ($5.50), ridden by Josh Oliver, came from last to score easily by 3.5 lengths to give Coffs Harbour trainer Catherine Inwood her first win at the track in the Become A Race Club Member Class 1 & Maiden Plate over 2018m.
Other winners were Flying Comet ($12) for Wyong trainer Damien Lane and jockey Travis Wolfgram, in the Stacks Law Firm Maiden Plate over 1411m and Happens Nomore ($4.40) for Scone trainer Janelle Butler to give jockey Billy Cray his first winner at the track in the XXXX Gold Maiden Handicap over 1257m.
Racing returns to Taree next Tuesday.
