A “love affair” between six-year-old local mare Lobban Dynamite and Kendall apprentice jockey Chloe Baker erupted in a surprise win at odds of $26 at Taree Wingham Race Club’s TAB meeting on a good track on Monday.
Trainer owner Robert Barnes said he thought his mare couldn’t win but the magic between the two worked wonders with a length win in the XXXX Gold Class 3 Handicap over 2012m in good time.
”Chloe has been riding my horse trackwork for the past three or four weeks… my mare loves Chloe and she loves the horse.
“Lobban Dynamite will do anything for Chloe and it looks as though she will be the regular rider from now on.
“My mare is not very fast but she will tough it out all day… she just keeps going.”
Tearaway leader Wyong gelding Pirate Jack led up to six lengths at one stage and although Lobban Dynamite was posted wide early, Baker was able to get a nice sit before taking up the running to score from heavily backed Wyong gelding Jayzou ($4.20), the early leader wilting and finished well back.
Baker said her run was uninterrupted… the mare was “beautiful” and she rides her every day.
It was a big day for the apprentice as members of her family looked on as she had a winning double on her Taree master, Wayne Wilkes’, five-year-old mare Fox Creek ($4.80 to $3.40) in the Weddings At The Winning Post Function Centre Maiden Plate over 1255m and was second on Little Moots (15-1), trained on the track by Matthew Robinson, the winner being Coffs Harbour mare Tiaconi ($5).
Fox Creek had to overcome sweating badly before the race, and then an outside barrier, before taking the lead after about 200m to then run the field ragged for a two lengths win.
It was Baker’s 8th win and she earned the praise of Wilkes for the tactical win.
“The owner bought this horse as a weanling for $1000 at the Sydney Sales and she sweated up really badly today but still got the job done,” said Wilkes.
It was only Fox Creek’s ninth start and took her prizemoney with the win and five placings to $25,700.
Tiaconi’s win for trainer Brett Bellamy was Korean apprentice Jaei Park’s second win in Australia, both being on the mare, the other win being at Port Macquarie last week.
Port four-year-old gelding Prince Nevaux ($3.40) found the step up in class from his 5.5 lengths win at Port on November 10 too big a task but finished third to Newcastle four-year-old mare Princess Vein ($5.50), trained by Jason Deamer and ridden by Chad Lever, in the Thanks—Taree Race Club Sponsors Country Class 1 Plate over 1609m in a track record.
Deamer’s father stood in as strapper and said the win made up for some bad luck for the mare at her previous start when fourth at the track and “she had it won a long way from home.”
The shortest priced galloper at the meeting, the $1.90 four-year-old Gosford gelding Unsinkable Sam, trained by Carmen Murnane and ridden by Chris O’Brien, was mid-field early but came with a big run in the straight to score by a neck in the Harrington Cup Raceday—January 5 Maiden Handiap over 1408m.
Robinson had better luck in the Conferences At The Winning Post Function Centre Maiden over 1005 with his three-year-old filly On My Terms ($5.50 to $3) scoring easily by 2.25 lengths with a good front-running ride by jockey Ben Looker.
The Santa Comes Early at Taree—December 18 Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1255m was a rib-tickler finish with heavily backed Coffs gelding Kareem’s Edge ($5.50), ridden by Raymond Spokes, scoring by a nose from Port trainer Neil Godbolt’s two, Dixie Lad ($11) and Laredo Hussler ($31), a long neck back in third.
Racing returns to Bushland Drive Racecourse for a TAB meeting conducted by Taree Wingham Race Club on Tuesday, December 6.
