By COLIN HODGES

Wild Rocket has been a difficult horse to train and Kylie Kennedy deserved the win in her home town Qube Narromine Gold Cup with the five year old mare.

A noted bad traveller, Wild Rocket had nevertheless finished second in a Country Championship Qualifier at Coonamble and fourth in the Final at Royal Randwick earlier this year. 

Making it two wins and a second at Narromine, Wild Rocket again demonstrated a liking for the home track with an outstanding performance in the 1600 metres Cup.

One of five winners on the day for Cowra jockey Mathew Cahill, Wild Rocket ( $5 ) came from last to win the Cup by over a length from the Forbes Cup winner From The Bush (Tony Cavallo,$2.60 favourite) with the $91 outsider Caszar (Ken Dunbar) running a tremendous third for Forbes trainer Barry Molloy.

This was the first Narromine Cup won by Kylie Kennedy.

Patience, timing and brilliant horsemanship were all on display when Mathew Cahill rode the last five winners on Cup Day.

One of the wins was shared when Cahill on the Myron Cooper trained Elgin ($9.50) figured in a dead heat for first with Combogolong (Casey Waddell, $9) in the 1200 metres Lesley Walsh Memorial Class 1 Handicap.

Bred and raced by Dennis Todd from Baradine and trained at Dubbo by Brett Robb, Combogolong had won Picnic races this year at Marthaguy, Moree, Bligh and Coonamble and making the transition to TAB company was only caught in the laSt stride by Elgin.

Two of Cahill’s winners were Cowra gallopers, Champagne Daisy ($18) trained by his brother in law Michael Lynch to win the 800 metres Douglas Egan Memorial Benchmark 66 Handicap and in the 1300 metres Thank You And Farewell Todd Smith Benchmark 58 Handicap, Deshawn ($2.90 favourite) trained by Barry Wall, the track curator for Cowra Jockey Club.

Starting the five win haul for Mathew Cahill was the Peter Bloomfield , Scone trained War Heart ($2.50 favourite) in the Narromine Shire Council Maiden Handicap.

*A frosty finish line at Narromine ahead of their successful day on Sunday 15 August for the Qube Narromine Gold Cup. PHOTO: Narromine Turf Club facebook.

Good day for Gilgandra connections

John Smith, a Life Member of Gilgandra Jockey Club, is at most Western area race meetings however he missed being on course at Narromine on Sunday to see Occasional win the 1600 metres Class 1 & Maiden Plate. 

Due to the Statewide lockdown caused by the Covid -19 outbreak, spectators, including owners, were prevented from attending race meetings however John Smith was most likely watching the Sky Channel coverage at home and enjoying the top run produced by his six year old mare.

With apprentice Jackson Searle in the saddle, the $41 outsider Occasional came from last with a big finish to beat Rusty Hawk (Mikayla Weir, $7) by a length with Poseidon Ruler (Ashley Morgan,$2.50) a long neck away third.

Kieran Hazleton who trains Occasional at Gilgandra had won the 1000 metres Bob Skinner Master Painter Class 1 Handicap the previous day at Parkes with Japingka.

Expect A Hero (Clayton Gallagher) held a good lead in the straight however was overhauled by Japingka and beaten almost a length with Any Loose Change (Tony Cavallo) holding on for third.

Zara Lewis who is apprenticed to Bryan Dixon at Gilgandra, gave Japingka a nice run behind the leaders and this was the 8th winner for Lewis during a relatively short career.

My Money Tree (Clayton Gallagher) from the Kylie Kennedy stable at Narromine was an all the way winner of the 1200 metres Maiden Handicap from Benoni (Aaron Sweeney) and Buggil (Elissa Meredith).

Dubbo trainer Connie Greig continued her recent run of success when Get Up Alby (Aaron Sweeney) travelled fourth on the rails then sprinted home to beat the leader Say Madam (Kath Bell-Pitomac) and Miss Monte (Tiffany Jeffries) in the 1300 metres Hankook Tyres Benchmark 50 Handicap.

Opening event at Parkes was the 800 metre Carpet Choice Maiden Plate and the Terry Fahey, Narromine trained Hireach (Ken Dunbar) took the early lead and won by nearly five lengths from In The Mail (Clayton Gallagher) and Cod Bye (Stephan Joseph).

Bookmakers and the Tote did not operate on the Parkes meeting due to the Covid-19 restrictions..

TAB meetings are planned for Gilgandra on Saturday and Bathurst on Monday.