Warren twilights - Friday, December 13
Former central west race caller Pat Bourke who passed away recently at Wel-lington, would have enjoyed the Warren twilight meeting last Friday where three generations of the Stanley family won races in front of a big crowd.
Pat’s wife Kathy Bourke is the sister of Wellington trainer Peter Stanley who won with $26 outsider Fancy Garter ridden by his daughter Ashleigh Stanley.
First leg of a winning double for Ashleigh Stanley was the Maree Hopkins-trained Flying Dubawi ($7) while Peter Stanley’s grandson Dylan Stanley also won on Cum-boogle ($2.30 favourite) for Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson.
Renowned as an accurate caller with a great sense of humour, Pat Bourke before his retirement called gallops meetings at tracks including Geurie, Gulgong, Wellin-gton and several others while he also called harness races and was the ground ann-ouncer for the Wellington Cowboys rugby league home games.
A very well-liked and great character, Pat often worked as a shearer while he was the trainer of several winners including Saint Joseph at Binnaway when ridden by Pat’s brother in law Peter Stanley.
Pat Bourke, who died aged 82, was behind the microphone at meetings during the same era as other race callers in the central and western areas including Bobby Gunn, Reg Ferguson, John Kerwick, Bob Foran, Shiner Ryan, Harry Hart, Don Ryan, Bill Palmer, Terry Bootle, Tim Moses and Colin Hodges. The funeral for Pat Bourke will be held in Wellington this week.
Apart from the three winners for the Stanley family at the very well promoted Warren twilight meeting, Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm had a winning double with Notabadchassis (Clayton Gallagher, $4.20) and Sizzling Tale (Zoe Hunt, $6).
The other winners were the Dean Mirfin, Bathurst trained Giovanni Star (Jessica Brookes, $2.40 favourite) and Luckyimwith-aimee (Shayleigh Ingelse, $11) trained at Narromine by Wayne Collison.
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Dubbo raced - Monday, December 9
The well-known yellow and cerise colours of Peter and Colleen Dwyer and their racing partners were carried to victory by Bush Telegraph and Zahdi in successive races last Monday (December 9) at Dubbo.
Both gallopers are trained at Scone by Scott Singleton and were very well ridden by his mature age apprentice Ella Drew.
In the first year of her apprenticeship, Ella Drew (34) formerly from New Zealand, has now ridden 24 winners.
A last start winner at Narromine, Bush Telegraph again had Ella Drew in the saddle for the 1600 metres Robertsons Motor-cycles/Kubota Benchmark 66 Handicap at Dubbo. Positioned on the rails behind the leading pack, Bush Telegraph ($4.60) in a dramatic finish edged out Magic Pharoah (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $3.60 favourite) by a nose with Ain’t She Swell (Mikayla Weir, $8.50) a half-length away third.
At the second run back from a spell, Zahdi (Ella Drew, $4.00) contested the 1200 metres Westside Hotel Bar and Bistro Class One Handicap and came from midfield to score by over a length from Brutal Love (Kody Nestor, $3.20 favourite) and Quick Onyx (Cobi Vitler, $10).
The lightly raced six-year-old gelding Taormina Sailor was a $21 winner at Dubbo in late September and two starts later was a $12 chance on Monday when winning the 1000 metres Latitude Liquor Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap at Dubbo.
Locally trained by Myron Cooper and owned by his wife Corinne Cooper, Tao-rmina Sailor was well ridden in the lead by their daughter, apprentice Angela Cooper.
Holding on strongly in the straight, Taormina Sailor won by a half neck from Candid (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $19) and Desirous (Mitch Stapleford, $6).
Dubbo trainers were off to a good start when the Cindy Monaghan trained Trust A Kitty after a string of placings was a des-erved winner of the 1600 metres Maas Mile Maiden Plate. Raced in partnership by Cindy Monaghan and stock and station agent Angus Barlow, Trust A Kitty (Jean Van Overmeire, $2.45 favourite) raced further forward than at recent starts and after taking the lead turning for home held on gamely to score in a three way photo finish from Haze (Clayton Gallagher, $3.60) and Airwalker (Kody Nestor, $26). Beauty Edge, a recent addition to the Clint Lundholm stable at Dubbo, had Kody Nestor aboard in the 1300 metres Latitude Liquor Wholesalers Maiden Handicap. Leading throughout, Beauty Edge ($3.50) to $2.70 favourite) breezed home over two lengths clear of Platinum Warrior (Shayleigh Ingelse, $8.50) and Grandini (Jan Van Overmeire ($1.90 fav.).
In the following race, the 1000 metres Westside Cellars Maiden Plate, the Rodney Northam, Scone-trained debut maker Speedy Henry (Leeshelle Small, $3.90 to $3.20) raced handy to the lead before winning by a half-length from Eastern Odyssey (Jessica Brookes, $31) and Bloomin’ Hell, Ken Dunbar, $17).
Completing a good day for Dubbo stables, the Michael Mulholland-trained Shadow Dane (Shayleigh Ingelse, $7.50) reeled in the leaders to win the 1300 metres Total Diesel Services Benchmark 58 Han-dicap from I’m Scarlett (Jan Van Overmeire, $7.50) and Star Intrigue (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $7.50).
