RACING: Promising galloper Ice In Vancouver underlined his potential with a win in the James Bradford Rural, Lightning Showcase Handicap at the Gunnedah Jockey Club’s Cup meeting at Riverside on Sunday.
The four-year-old gelding won the $32,000 main support race to the Gunnedah Gold Cup, running the 1000 metres in the slick time of 57.42 seconds on a soft 7 track.
From 10 starts Ice In Vancouver has won five times, twice at Scone and Tamworth and now at Gunnedah, amassing prizemoney of $107,000, which includes the $16,200 from the Gunnedah meeting.
Ice In Vancouver was in the red from the opening quote in the Lightning, starting at $1.80, and was ridden by Aaron Bullock, who always had the race under control to win by almost two lengths from Toto ($6.50), trained at Newcastle by Todd Howlett. Third place went to Cassey’s Sister, from the Troy O’Niele stable in Tamworth.
The winner’s trainer, Cody Morgan, is setting the gelding for the Kirby Handicap at the Grafton Cup carnival in early July.
“We’ll turn him out for a few weeks to freshen him up for Grafton,” he said.
Morgan was a talented former jockey riding 150 winners before his career was cut short by serious injury. Since becoming a trainer 12 years ago, Morgan (35) has had more than 200 winners.
Racing started at Riverside on Sunday with the TAB.COM.AU Two-Year-Old (1000 metres), won narrowly by Demitasse ($2.80/$1 favourite), from the Paul Massara stable at Scone.
The second race over 2050 metres went to the $17 outsider Corvo, trained at Gilgandra by Kieren Hazelton and winning by a half-length from favourite Nature Born with Bring The Joy, trained at Gunnedah by Gavin Groth, finishing solidly for third to pick up prizemoney of $2800 for connections from Gunnedah and Tamworth.
Indicative ($1.50) gave nothing else a chance in the Thomson Electrical Maiden Plate (1400 metres), winning by almost four lengths.
Burdekin ($4.20) had late support in the betting ring and won the Railway Hotel Showcase Maiden Handicap (1250 metres), winning by two lengths and relegating favourite Really Serious ($3.10) to fourth.
The Ultra-Fleet Benchmark 58 Showcase Handicap (1250 metres) was won by $8.50 chance Rock Step, trained at Wyong by Kim Waugh, wife of former Test cricketer Mark
Waugh.
Rock Step tipped out Tamworth galloper Mook’s Sister with another Tamworth horse, Heredero, a close third.
Racing ended with the eighth race, the Class 1 XXXX Gold Showcase of 1400metres won by Test The Waters ($3.40), ridden by experienced jockey Darryl McLellan.
Riding honours for the day went to apprentice jockey Jackson Searle (Tamworth), who rode Burdekin and the Cup winner Annie’s Street. Aaron Bullock also rode a
double.
