Lower Hunter Valley trainer Todd Howlett made a worthwhile trip west when his only runner, Scorched Land, took the $75,000 Coonabarabran Bowling Club Coonabarabran Showcase Cup on Sunday.
It was the first time Howlett had a runner at Coonabarabran, a western district track that races only three times a year.
In front of about 2000 racegoers, Scorched Land - by the Riverdene Stud, Wagga Wagga, based horse Sizzling, defeated the Dubbo-trained pair Watch Me Rumble (by Stratum Star, trained by Clint Lundholm) and Deel Street (Dundeel, and Connie Greig).
Following her winning treble, including its cup at Coonamble a fortnight before, Wyong-based apprentice Anna Roper again was dominant with three winners, including cup victor Scorched Land.
Narromine-based hoop Clayton Gallagher also rode a winning treble including aboard Simply Xtravagant, which stretched the mare's winning sequence to four when adding the $40,000 Futurity Pastoral Baradine Cup, a Showcase Benchmark 66 Handicap.
Trained by Dubbo conditioner Brett Robb, Simply Extravagant - by the Newhaven Park-based stallion Xtravagant, dug deep in the straight to snatch victory from Ringside (Stratum) and Calgary King (Akeed Mofeed) at the post.
Scone trainers featured at the meet - Cameron Crockett prepared a double with Scarzel (Snitzel) and Dirty Merchant (Merchant Navy), while Titled Tycoon (Written Tycoon) won for Rodney Northam and jockey Chelsea Hillier.
Dubbo trainer Connie Greig also featured with a winner when Foxy Baroness (Foxwedge) won her first race for the Dubbo stable after relocating from the Gold Coast in June.
Young sires on the board
It did not take long for Victorian-based horse Alabama Express to sire his first winner when first-crop two-year-old Karavas won the $50,000 Moorundi Classic for juveniles at Murray Bridge recently.
Trained by Richard and Chantelle Jolly at Morphettville, Karavas - having her first start, was sold for $260,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale via the filly's breeders' Yulong, also home of her sire.
Standing at $22,000, Alabama Express was also quick to get his second winner when Shangri La Express - a $220,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase - won at Randwick on Saturday. Alabama Express is the only weight-for-age group one winning (MRC C F Orr Stakes) three-year-old colt at stud by multiple champion Australian sire Redoute's Choice.
Another Australian-based stallion recently represented with his first winner was Sun City, which sired first crop juvenile filly Mishani Suspect, winner of the Kobayashi at Aquis two-year-old race at Eagle Farm.
Standing at Telemon Thoroughbreds at Innisplain, Queensland, Sun City commands a $4400 service fee. A chestnut son of Widden Stud's champion Zoustar, Sun City was a precocious two-year-old himself when he won the BRC B J McLachlan Stakes-G3 as a December juvenile, as well as finishing second in VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes-LR.
In New Zealand, Australian-bred young horse Super Seth also sired his first winner when Poetic Champion easily won at Hawera on the North Island.
Bred by Arrowfield Stud at Scone, Super Seth is a $1.6 million track-earning son of Dundeel, a High Chaparral stallion now standing at $82,500.
Standing for NZ $35,000 at Waikato Stud, Matamata, Super Seth was trained by Anthony Freedman in Melbourne to win the McNeil Stakes-G3 before defeating multiple group one winning Alligator Blood in the MRC Caulfield Guineas-G1.
Eminent off the mark
When NZ-bred Dulcet won its maiden over 1740 metres at Sale, it sparked my interest as the Chris Waller-trained gelding was by Irish-bred Eminent, a stallion I knew little about.
Dulcet is a first crop three-year-old by Eminent, which stands at Brighthill Farm on NZ's North Island and would rate as one of the first stud sons in Australasia by stallion Frankel.
Standing alongside Zabeel horse Preferment and French-bred Anabaa horse Dalghar, Eminent won three races, including the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano-G2 at Deauville, France, and the Craven Stakes-G3 at Newmarket, England.
