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By Colin Hodges

Making the most of the opportunity as a last minute replacement rider, Wendy Peel won the opening race at Dubbo last Saturday aboard the Clint Lundholm-trained Just An Upstart.

Well ridden by Peel, Just An Upstart ($1.50 to $1.35 favourite) settled midfield then sprinted to an over four lengths win from Luskin Vain (Chelsea Ings, $20) and Our Little Zoe (Will Stanley, $21) in the 1000m Dubbo RSL Motel Maiden Handicap.

Just An Upstart (Wendy Peel) bolts in at Dubbo on Saturday. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)

Recently sold to clients of Dubbo-based Lundholm, the 3yo chestnut gelding Just An Upstart had five starts for Randwick trainer Mark Newnham who is leaving soon to take up a contract in Hong Kong.

Returning to Dubbo as a fully-fledged jockey earlier this year after completing her indentured time in Queensland, Wendy Peel served the bulk of her apprenticeship in NSW New including a successful time with the Rodney Robb stable at Nyngan.

Feature races won by Peel for Robb included the Warren Cotton Cup on Bells ‘N’ Bows and the Louth Cup on Austin. A highlight in Queensland was winning the big prizemoney Battle Of The Bush Final at Eagle Farm on the David Reynolds, Dalby-trained Rather Salubrious.

This unique race brought together the country-trained winners at the small, mainly non-TAB clubs, in Qld. A lightweight jockey with 186 winners to her name, Wendy Peel (30) who was described by Rodney Robb as an "extremely hard worker" is likely to do well from her new base in Dubbo.

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Will Stanley, who gained invaluable experience riding on a variety of tracks as a jockey at picnic race meetings, is making a favourable impression in the professional ranks as an apprentice with respected Orange trainer Alison Smith, herself a former jockey.

Aboard the Smith-trained 4yo mare Brief Statement in the 1000m Dubbo RSL Sunset Bistro Country Boosted Class 2 Handicap, Stanley gave a polished display.

Resuming from a spell, the speedy Castlebar Road (Clayton Gallagher, $5) broke clear in the straight but was overhauled in the closing strides and beaten a half neck by Brief Statement (Will Stanley, $4.20 to $3.10 fav) with a length to the third-placed Cumboogle (Serg Lisnyy, $21).

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Feature race for two-year-olds at Dubbo is the Kings Hall Jewellers Silver Goblet to be held this year at a Showcase meeting on Friday 9th June.

Very keenly contested on Saturday was the 1100m Kings Hall Jewellers Silver Goblet Preview won by the Damien Lane, Wyong-trained Bare To Witness in the black and pink Impact Racing colours.

At debut, the Michael Lunn, Dubbo-trained Rewarding Belle, the $101 rank outsider, displayed abundant speed to lead clearly until well in the straight.

Bursting through the pack close to home, Bare To Witness (Patrick Scorse, $4.80 to $8) won by a half neck from New Pharoah (Braith Nock, $2.20 to $1.75 favourite) while Rewarding Belle (Wendy Peel) held on gamely for third.

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Bathurst will race on Thursday followed by Cobar (Saturday), Wellington (Sunday), Dubbo (Friday 2nd June) and Coonamble picnics (Saturday 3rd June).