Latest News

By Colin Hodges

Almost 11 years ago a filly named Kindness trained by the late Don Ryan from Bathurst won a Class 1 Handicap at Dubbo defeating Shiraz trained locally by Peter Nestor.

Shiraz later won Group 3 races in Sydney and Melbourne while Kindness was retired to stud after winning two races at Bathurst and Dubbo from six starts.

Laffing Waters (Ashleigh Stanley) after a previous Dubbo win. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)

In that 2012 race Kindness was ridden by Greg Ryan, no relation of the Ryan family who bred the filly from their outstanding racehorse and brood mare Amourous.

On Saturday before a huge crowd at Dubbo, four year old gelding Timmy, the son of Kindness, won the 1200m Garde Class 1 Handicap.

Bred and raced by the Ryan family and trained by Andrew Ryan, Timmy ($12) ridden by Ashleigh Stanley, led most of the way for a close win over Ms Reeves (Ronald Simpson, $7.50) and Luna Eagle (Michael Heagney, $26).

In the following race the 1300m JLE Group Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap, the Andrew Ryan-trained Laffing Waters (Zoe Hunt, $2.90 to $2.40 favourite) bred by the Ryan family from their three-time winner Just Pay Up, led throughout to beat Hemsted (Julia Presits, $7) and Inzaghi (Clayton Gallagher, $10).

Feature event at Dubbo the 1000m Hello Sport Handicap saw a pleasing return to form by the Dar Lunn trained 6yo grey mare Praline.

Coming from last with a powerful run down the outside, Praline (Braith Nock. $10) arrived in time to beat Driving Force (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $15) and Innervoice (Ben Looker, $19).

Raced by Guy Mitchell from Binnaway and Rob Pratten from Dubbo, Praline has now won seven races, four of them being at Dubbo.

Michael Lunn, a brother of Dar Lunn and also a trainer at Dubbo, won the 2200m Redimix & MAAS Western Eagle Benchmark 58 Handicap with Our City (Mikayla Weir, $7 to $5) which came from midfield to defeat Love Rules (Chelsea Hillier, $3.80) and Piccapeppa ( Mitch Stapleford, $3.70 fav).

Gulgong trainer Brett Thompson trained the both the sire Great Choice and the dam Leica Poet, of Barry The Poet, winner of the 1400m Macquarie Geotech Country Boosted Maiden Plate.

Raced by Mark and Barry Beach from Warren, Barry The Poet (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $2.10 fav) over the closing stages wore down Sports Page (Wendy Peel, $15) and Let Rip (Ronald Simpson, $2.50).

Natalie Pearce does an excellent job with her small team at Dubbo which includes Rockin’ Edition winner of the 1000m Dandy Maiden Handicap after placings at Dubbo and Coonabarabran.

Close to home Rockin’Edition (Ken Dunbar, $2.60 fav) overhauled I’m Independent ( Jake Pracey-Holmes, $9) to score by a short head with Exsensible (Braith Nock, $3.70) a handy third.

Joshua (Ronald Simpson, $2.60 fav) led for home but was run down and beaten a long neck by the Brett Robb-trained All I Have (Clayton Gallagher, $9.50) with A Pound Of Salt (Ashleigh Stanley, $19) finishing third in the 1600m Schwarz Excavations Class 1 and Maiden Plate.

Following the Dubbo meeting on Tuesday, western area racing focuses on Warren next Sunday which features the Cotton Cup.