Almanac Horseracing – The Corowa Cup: Country racing, a great day out!

 

 

The time-honoured Corowa Cup was run on Saturday.

 

We took up our space in the members,  a tad cooler there. The temperature hovered around the low-mid 30’s not too bad for Corowa this time of the year, but this old bloke was happy in the members. Talking to my relations about the long spell of hot weather up there, it makes low 30’s seem cool. It’s been a long hot summer along the border.

 

The racing started with a sprint over five furlongs, seeing Blaike McDougall saluting on Jester Angel. McDougall has been a revelation since moving to Albury in the middle of 2018. He’s ridden numerous winners including riding my horse to its most recent win in Wagga few months back. On Cup Day his winning ride in the first started a productive day for him.

 

Blaike took the honours on the day with three wins and a placing from six rides. One of those wins was the Wagga trained Noble Descent in the Cup. He got his horse home in front of the fast finishing local, Tudor Rule. Tudor Rule well back in the field when they entered the straight was set loose by Jake Duffy for a barn storming finish. Another 50 yards and he would have won, but no point talking about coulda’s, shoulda’s, woulda’s as they don’t happen. The second year in a row he’s been placed in the home town cup, a fine feat for Geoff Duryea.

 

Geoff had two runners on the day, the other being Moves Like Zizi. As Geoff trains my horse I’m always happy  to put $$ on his runners. This helped me finish the day in the $.

 

The Cup saw Noble Descent win, Tudor Rule second, with Cha Cha King rounding of a good paying trifecta. So good my better half was happy to find herself in the $ after having the right numbers. The first four paid well, being a four figure tally. The locally trained Another Jay Brown, running @ $101.00 ran fourth putting value into this. Another Jay Brown is trained on track by Rick Freyer. Rick’s father Richard trained the last local to win the cup back in 1999; a while back. My horse has won over the mile, maybe he might end the locals bad run in 2020.

 

It’d be remiss of me not to mention Michael Heagney riding the winner of race 4. How many miles does he travel each year? I’ve noticed him riding in Broome, as well as other far flung parts of our wide brown land. If my memory is correct he was an apprentice to Lee Freedman back in the 80’s. Good on him!

 

You do wonder how much racing can be fitted in. The Towong Cup, with its recent TAB status, also ran on Saturday. Sunday saw the Echuca Cup, down from a two day meeting to the one day. Are there sufficient good horses, jockeys and trainers to produce quality horse racing? We now have racing on Good Friday, how long before there are Xmas meetings?

 

Any how what more can  I close with than back a winner, and if you can’t, back another.

 

Country Racing, it’s a great day out.

 

 

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