Sport
12 September, 2026
Glowing Rapids Wins Another Bush Cup
Fresh off winning the Gulargambone Cup, Glowing Rapids has won the Mendooran Cup.
Raced at Mendooran - Saturday, September 5
Winner of the Gulargambone Cup, the Melissa Harrison, Forbes-trained Glowing Rapids, backed up a week later on Saturday, September 5 to win the 1200 metres McGirr and Associates Mendooran Cup.
Racing in front of a record breaking Mendooran crowd, Glowing Rapids was again very well ridden by the Harrison stable apprentice Jess Del Frari who took a trail behind the leader, the Inverell galloper Soobooco, in the 12-horse cup field.
Carrying over 5kg more than at Gulargambone, Glowing Rapids ($7.50) was almost headed halfway down the straight by the Tamworth-trained He’s My Warrior (Juliet Partridge, $4.20) but fought back gamely to win by a half neck with the $3.50 favourite Chicken Legs (Billy Cray) nearly two lengths away in third place.
Melissa Harrison had little time to celebrate the cup win before she sent out Pattera and Jess Del Frari to win the following race, the 1000 metres Benchmark 50 Handicap.
Part owned by the Grenfell race club president Danny Kotel, Pattera ($5) led for home and displayed plenty of tenacity to hold on and win by a half-length from Mega Pixel (Gabrielle Johnston, $3.30) and Samita (Donovan Dillon, $8).
Since moving to a property at Mendooran, Jane Clement has trained a stack of winners in the Central West and beyond and relished a home game when landing a winning double on Saturday with Surpasser and Johnny Boz.
After racing on the provincial and central coast circuit, Surpasser (Gabrielle Johnston, $1.70 favourite) was having the first start for the Clement stable when leading throughout to beat Spectacular Star (Donovan Dillon, $17) and Stormy Malice (Clayton Gallagher, $5) in the 1500 metres Class One and Maiden Plate.
Entering the home straight in the 1500 metres McGirr Family Hotels-JJ McGirr Silver Horseshoe Benchmark 50 Handicap, Billy Cray found an opening between the leading pack and the Clement trained Johnny Boz ($9) finished beat for a half-length win over Risk Assessment (Donovan Dillon, $4 to $2.30 favourite) and Sidenay (Gabrielle Johnston, $5).
During the first campaign for Dubbo trainer Todd Smith after previously racing with limited success in Victoria, Godwits has won four races and again showed good ability as a stayer when winning the 1900 metres Benchmark 58 Handicap.
With a good front-running ride by regular jockey Liam Blanch, Godwits ($4) won by three lengths from Proclivity (Gabrielle Johnston, $3 favourite) and Vastly (Diego Montes de Oca, $5).
Jordie Thompson who is apprenticed to Sue Grills at Tamworth, rode her fourth winner when she led most of the way on the Dale Riley, Muswellbrook-trained Manapouri ($4.60) to beat Still Onit (Jasmine Urquhart-Warren, $3.50) and Souline (Ashleigh McCabe, $7) in the 1200 metres Maiden Plate.
Dubbo - raced Monday, September 7
A daring ride on Proper Twelve in the opening race became the first leg of a winning treble for local jockey Clayton Gallagher on Monday at Dubbo.
Owned by a big group of racing enthusiasts, mainly from Coonamble, Lake Cargelligo, Dubbo and Narromine, the Brett Robb-trained Proper Twelve ($3.30 favourite) was taken to a big early lead by Gallagher and held on to win the 1600 metres Westside Cellars Class 1 & Maiden Plate by a half length from Jenni La Rock (Mikayla Weir, $5) and Snow Dog (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $17).
Racing in the green and white hoops colours of the Bowman family, the Lyle Chandler, Scone-trained Miners Mate ($4.80) under Clayton Gallagher then led most of the way to score by over four lengths from Denise’s Gal (Izzy Neale, $5.50) and Sir Skipalong (Mikayla Weir, $101) in the 1300 metres Maiden Handicap.
Another aggressive ride by Clayton Gallagher, saw him dash the Rodney Northam, Scone-trained Questionable ($4 to $3.70 favourite) to the lead turning for home before eventually winning the 2200 metres Latitude Liquor Benchmark 58 Handicap by by nearly two lengths from It Is To Be (Kody Nestor, $11) and Heapy’s Legacy (Mikayla Weir, $4).
Several committee members of Wellington Race Club are in the ownership of the Brett Thompson-trained Mazort which after being slowly away had beaten half the field home in the prestigious Wellington Boot before going for a spell.
Resuming at Narromine, Mazort was an eye catching second to Badgers Bridge before tackling the 1000 metres Country Boosted Maiden Plate at Dubbo.
Powering down the outside from midfield, Mazort (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $2.10 favourite) arrived in the last stride to beat Mind Battlefield (Jess Del Frari, $13) by a short half head while Best Defence (Zoe Hunt, $14) was a neck away third after leading by a sizeable margin.
Some of the best gallopers in the region clashed in the 1200 metres Westside Hotel Benchmark 82 Handicap won by the Mark Jones, Mudgee-trained Crusader Kings in a thrilling finish.
Parked behind the leaders, Crusader Kings ($1.55 favourite) hit the front in the straight and desperately ridden by Aaron Bullock, lasted to beat the strong finishing Crook (Zoe Hunt, $6.50 to $11) by a half head with Green Run (Jacob Stiff, $41) battling on well for third.
Well ridden from a wide barrier by apprentice Jasmine Urquhart-Warren, the Brett Robb trained Miss Karis ($6) from midfield won the 1400 metres BM 50 Handicap, while the Michael Dobie, Muswellbrook trained speedster Puffin (Gabrielle Johnston, $2.20 favourite) was most impressive when a runaway five lengths winner of the 1000 metres BM 58 Handicap.