RNSW_Oct 21_Col_W

www.racingnsw.com.au 33 PICNIC RACING R eaching 20th position on the point score ladder, connections of Danspur are hoping to make the 12-horse field in the $50,000 Picnic Champions Series Final and if successful, would be one of the favourites. Trained at Gunnedah by Gavin Groth and ridden by Brent Evans, Danspur ($2.80 favourite) tracked the leaders to the 500m then took complete control in the 1600m Kamilaroi Open Trophy Handicap. Increasing the advantage with seemingly every stride Danspur, relishing the heavy conditions won by over 11 lengths from Equilibrium (Will Stanley) and Lucienne (Maddison Wright). Gavin Groth also combined with Brent Evans to win the feature sprint race, the 1000m Koala Capital Open Trophy Handicap with Epic Decision which, like Danspur, is a proven performer in TAB company. Brent Evans, a winner of Group races on metropolitan tracks, took his mount to the early lead and despite humping the 71kg topweight, Epic Decision ($2.70 to $2.50 fav) won by almost two lengths from Bellszov Bourke (Will Stanley) and Prussian Dream (Ricky Blewitt). The other leg of a treble for Brent Evans was the Troy O’Neile, Tamworth-trained Capitulate in the 1400m Dorothea Mackellar Class 2 Trophy Handicap. Aviate set the pace before the strongly supported Capitulate ($6 to $4.20) took over to score by more than five lengths from Combogolong (Maddison Wright) and Nepenthes (Will Stanley). Points from the second placing took Combogolong to 13th on the ladder and is a good chance of making the field for the Picnic Champions Series Final. Dennis Todd from Baradine, who has been racing horses since 1964, would love to see Combogolong in the Final as he bred and owns the six-year-old gelding. Trained at Dubbo by Brett Robb, Combogolong has during the series won picnic races at Marthaguy, Bligh, Moree and Coonamble and at a Narromine TAB meeting finished in a dead- heat for first with Elgin in a big field. First-up for Brett Robb after coming from Hunter Valley stables, It’s In My Blood won the opening event the 1000m My Country Maiden Plate. Slowly away, It’s In My Blood (Ricky Blewitt, $2 out to $3) came from near last to beat Colonel Von Trapping (Michael T. Johnston) and Rock Arli (Brent Evans). Ricky Blewitt then brought up a winning double when he continued a long and successful association with Moree trainer Peter Sinclair aboard Let Him Fly in the 1600m Moodie Class B Handicap. Let Him Fly ($2 fav) led most of the way for a comfortable win over Chur Bro (Will Stanley) and Another Bowl (Michael Gray). Now trained by Wanda Ings at Bathurst, former South Australian galloper Blue Lake Boy won the 1250m The Woolshed Class B Handicap at Gunnedah. Given a nice run by Will Stanley, Blue Lake Boy ($5.50) finished best to beat the leader Unitary (Brent Evans) by a half-length with Boston Blues (Ricky Blewitt) filling third place. Multiple premiership-winning jockey Ricky Blewitt has a big opinion of 17-year-old Will Stanley who works for trainer Wanda Ings. “If or when Will Stanley joins the professional ranks, I predict he will quickly become the leading apprentice as he is an outstanding rider and also a really good kid,” said Ricky Blewitt. The $50,000 Picnic Champions Series Final on Sunday 10 October will have full TAB coverage and is one of the feature races at the Coonamble Gold Cup meeting. DANSPUR BECAME AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF QUALIFYING FOR THE $50K PICNIC CHAMPIONS SERIES FINAL AT COONAMBLE ON OCTOBER 10 WHEN WINNING AT THE GUNNEDAH PICNIC MEETING WORDS: COLIN HODGES PICTURES: JANIAN MCMILLAN