Local Bathurst trainer Paul Theobald will certainly get a Christmas card from a petrol company after making the 18 hour return trip to Louth last Saturday. Paul was needless to say the only trainer brave enough to venture to the tiny town for it’s once a year Cup meeting which attracted a crowd of 6000 people. The trip was made worthwhile when his three year old filly Freezetheassets won the opening event on the program; the filly has now had five runs for a win and two placings and has amassed just over $10,000 in prizemoney. Freezetheassets is raced by Paul in partnership with Anna Blackburn who is a special education teacher in Bathurst. The filly was purchased at the Dubbo Yearling Sale for $2,000 and has well and truly proved a great investment, it shows that you do not have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to race and own your own winner. For Anna the race was a big thrill as Freezetheassets is her first ever racehorse and hopefully the promising filly will win many more races for the first time owner.

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Orange trainer Peter Stanley’s initial disappointment turned to joy after the running of the opening race at Cowra on Monday. Dane’s Jewel was beaten by a nose by Steeletto but after a short deliberation won the race on protest after being interfered with in the final 200 metres of the race. Dane’s Jewel win was well deserved as the mare has been a model of consistency and now has the record of one win and four placings from seven starts. Peter believes, “the mare should go through her classes, I am so glad the mare won as the owners are a great bunch of people and have been so patient”. Dane’s Jewel is owned by brothers Peter, Jeff, Garry and Greg Hartigan along with Dawn Gill and for all the owners this was their first venture into horse ownership. Trainer Peter Stanley before making a comeback into the racing industry worked with some of the owners at Central West Linen Service and without the support of such great owners a comeback would not have been possible. Peter has established himself a great strike rate since his return to training and his stable will be worth following in the next month with Haychee, Honours Degree, Dane’s Jewel and Esprit D’Oiseau set to provide him with many winners.

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It is hard to think of a more consistent, genuine and honest horse as the Sarah Murray-Leslie trained Moment of Clarity. What Moment of Clarity lacks in size he makes up for in heart, his win on Monday at Cowra now takes the five year old geldings record to 51 starts for 7 wins and 17 placings and earnings of $67,000 in prizemoney. The win on Monday followed on from a huge run for third in the Forbes Cup the previous week. Trainer Sarah Murray-Leslie has done an amazing job with the horse and she will now give the horse a break before aiming the gelding at the big prizemoney on offer at the Mudgee and Dubbo Cups.

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Membership is now open for the Golden West Race Club for the 2008-2009 racing season. Membership is only $50, and $40 for Senior’s and Under 30’s and entitles you to free entry to enjoy all the thrills and excitement at all meetings at Bathurst and Orange as well as reciprocal rights to selected race clubs throughout the state. Members will also receive discounts at various businesses throughout Bathurst and Orange, which certainly makes it a great investment. For membership enquiries you can contact the Golden West Race Club on 6361 4552 or at gwracing@bigpond.com.

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Good luck to all local trainers with runners this weekend, Gayna Williams will be represented by Fly First at Rosehill today and is well worth an each way investment. The Narromine Cup will be run on Sunday with last start Forbes Cup runner up On My Honour, trained by John East being the only Golden West representative. The best chance of the local runners on Sunday looks to be the Peter Stanley trained Esprit D’Oiseau in the fifth race. Leading jockey Hugh Bowman will be heading to Narromine for only the two rides on the Tracey Bartley trained Brisk Bob and a horse owned by Hugh’s father Spoilt Matilda, both horses will be extremely hard to beat and worth an all up investment.