BY COL HODGES

They came 15 years apart, but Coonamble trainer Colin Edgar has now won the Carinda Cup twice, the most recent with grey mare Miss Ash Star, before a good crowd on Saturday at Carinda.

The now-retired Greg Ryan was in the saddle when the Colin Edgar-trained Miss Watanabe defeated Norms Boy and Zakeya in the 2008 Carinda Cup; however, the in-form Orange-based apprentice Will Stanley was the rider of the 2023 Cup winner Miss Ash Star.

Attempting to win the 1400 metres Dubbo City Toyota Carinda Cup for the second year in succession after winning the Binnaway and Walgett Cups, the Graeme Brooker, Coonabarabran trained Plectrum (Chelsea Ings, $3.50 equal favourite) led the Cup field with Miss Ash Star settling midfield on the inside.

Will Stanley found a gap at the right time, and the well-supported Miss Ash Star ($8 to $5) hit the front and, in new track record time, held off the fast-finishing Lenroy (Ken Dunbar, $3.70) to score by a neck with Equilibrium (Paul Zerafa, $17) a handy third.

James Hatch, who brought Lenroy from his stables near the Queensland border north of Bourke to finish runner-up in the Cup, had earlier won the 1400 metres Local Liquor Gateway Maiden Plate with In Peace.

Parked handy to the lead, In Peace (Ken Dunbar, $3.50) finished best to beat Better Than Pearls (Chelsea Ings, $3.50) and Dalante (Andrew Banks, $6).

Making the most of the opportunity offered by Cobar trainer Wayne Prisk, 37-year-old apprentice Paul Zerafa from Kembla Grange rode a well-judged race when winning the 1700 metres Complete Asset Management Benchmark 50 Handicap on Berlotti in a new track record time.

Raced by Butch Eves and the trainer Wayne Prisk, Borlotti ($5) from the back of the field finished strongly to win by almost four lengths from the leader Intense (Chelsea Ings, $5) and The Cave (Ronald Simpson, $4.40).

Trainer Graeme Brooker and Chelsea Ings, who missed out in the Cup with Plectrum, had won the opening race, the 1000 metres Walgett Hunt Camp Fish Newsagency Maiden Handicap with Smart ‘N’ Ritzy.

Straight to the lead, Smart ‘N’ Ritzy ($2.30 to $3.50) accelerated at the top of the straight and breezed home by five lengths from Cinders (Paul Zerafa, $10) and Oh No Devon (Ken Dunbar, $3).

Backed from $2.70 to $1.80 favourite, Super Son missed a place, and a $2,000 bet found a new home in a bookies bag.

Before riding successfully in Queensland for more than two years, Wendy Peel rode a winner at Carinda, and she was pleased to be back this year to win the Wayne “Bronco” Lunn-sponsored Benchmark 45 Handicap on Twyborn Affair for Coonamble trainer Cec Hodgson.

A last-start Walgett winner, Twyborn Affair ($5), broke clear in the straight and won by two lengths from Inzaghi (Will Stanley, $7) and Geesheehan (Andrew Banks, $3 eq. Fav.).

To the cheers of a happy group of owners from Condobolin, Tottenham and Trundle, the Rodney Robb, Nyngan-trained Sindagar won the 1400 metres O’Brien Brigalows Pastoral Company Class 1 Handicap.

Well-ridden in the lead by Dubbo apprentice Jake Barrett, Sindagar ($3.80) was under siege in the straight but held off Royal Samer (Andrew Banks, $3 fav.) to score by three-quarters of a length with Hussniacki (Ken Dunbar, $3.80) filling third place.

WRA action heads to Warren on Tuesday and Coonabarabran on Saturday before Central Districts racing takes over at Bathurst on Tuesday, July 25.

For all Carinda results, click here.