Ridden a clever race by to jockey Matthew Cahill from Cowra, the Lee Van den Bos Orange-trained Belfry Bat won the $8000 Grenfell Pharmacy-Oliver’s Hardware Loaded Dog Benchmark Hcp (1400 metres) at a very successful meeting at Grenfell on Saturday.
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Gosford visitor Lucarno and the veteran galloper Poker Pro shared the lead in a fast run race with Cahill content to race 8 lengths behind that pair.
Making significant ground on the leaders approaching the home turn, Befrey Bat (3.00) race to a convincing win by nearly four lengths from the gallant 9-year-old Poker Pro (Katie Chater,10.00) with Destiny Road (Tiffany Jeffries, 7.00, 4.00) in third place.
Matthew Cahill rode the winners Debs Home and General Explorer either side of the Loaded Dog with Belfrey Bat.
From an outside gate, Matthew Cahill took the Tony Newing Gosford trained Deb’s Home to the lead in the Maiden Plate (1400 metres).
Deb’s Home (2.80) was easy winner over Yeeha (Tiffany Jeffries) and Not On Time (Adam Gain, 6.00).
Matthew Cahill then settled the Joe Cleary, Queanbeyan-trained General Explorer well back on the 200 metre Jack Dyckhoff Memorial Benchmark 55 handicap. Under hard riding from Cahill, General Explorer beat Battant Glory (Rachel Hunt, 6.50) and Wearthestorm (Tiffany Jeffries, 6.00) trained by Jim Scott at Benalla in Victoria.
Forbes trainer Barry Melloy, Parkes based owner George Tanks and Dubbo Jockey Kacie Chater, combined to win the Class 2 Handicap (1200 metres) with Set For Gold. Taking the lead in the straight, Set for Gold (15.00) held on for a good win over Run Bullett Run (Eleanor Webster-Hawes, 5.00) and Kamiya (R. Saxton, 5.50).
Set For Gold is a half sister to the good sprinter Royal Society, also trained by Barry Melloy.
Alison Smith, formerly of Forbes) and now a successful trainer at Orange, won the Maiden Handicap (1000 metres) with Old Smuugler).
With Roly Saxton aboard, Old Smuggler (13.00) wore down Crown Pearl (Matthew Cahill, 2.60) to win by a long neck with Kentucky Darter (Martin Haley, 2.20) for a close third.
Trained at Queanbeyan and with Dubbo jockey Jeff Kehoe in the saddle, Twomenanahorse (5.00) came from near last to win the Benchmark 50 Handicap (1000 metres) from Mickey Spanooch (Rachel Hunt, 5.50) and Magic Stuff (Matthew Cahill, 4.00, 3.70 fav).
The Grenfell Club again provided an abundance of prizes for owners, trainers and Jockeys and horses who even ran last won a prize for connections.
For the third year in succession, Grenfell Jockey Club is one of four finalists for the Best Community Race Club in NSW.
The winner will be announced at a gala function in Sydney on Friday, October 3rd.
