PICNIC racing juggernaut Connie Greig came, saw and collected at Moree picnic races on Saturday, when half-sisters I’m Scarlett and Line of Law ran one-two in the 950m RDO Equipment Moree Picnic Bracelet.
Greig, who also won the 1600m Kenway and Clark Case IH Class 2 Handicap with Allande, has won 51 races this season.
Her feature wins include the Marthaguy Picnic Cup at Quambone with Individualist and the Grenfell Picnic Cup with Blackhill Kitty earlier this month.
In February-March, Greig completed a hat-trick of picnic cup wins at Bedgerabong, Condobolin and Tottenham with tough mare Laisvas.
Prior to Saturday’s feature win, Greig had 12 of the top 20 qualifiers for the $50,000 1400m Picnic Championship Final at Coonamble later this year.
Her Boolooroo Cup runner on Saturday, Individualist, finished fifth behind Awesome Tycoon, but running the quinella in the bracelet with $4.40 equal favourites I’m Scarlett and Line of Law – both from the mare Inside Line – was ample consolation.
I’m Scarlett, a winner over 1400m at Bathurst earlier this year, came from a mile back to beat stablemate and half-sister Line of Law by a long-neck, with Geoff O’Brien’s Super Hot – last year’s Mallawa Bracelet winner – half-a-length away third.
“She won first-up once before over 800m at Come-By-Chance but she’s more suited to 1400m,” Greig said.
Jockey Todd Bailey, fresh from a winning double at Bourke last month, reckoned he was no hope once the capacity field left the gates.
“After 50m I thought, there’s no way she can win this – I was a long way off the leaders,” Bailey said. “She is a class above them, but with 71kg on her back and first-up was a big task, and she’s a lot better horse over more ground.
“I thought, from where I was she might run into a place but I wasn’t expecting her to attack the line the way she did with that sort of weight,” he said.
“It was a bit firmer down the middle of the track but I had to take any run I could get, and shifted across about five sets of heels. Otherwise, she would’ve got stuck in behind them – it was a nice win,” Bailey said.
Meanwhile, Inverell trainer Wayne Oakenfull and Scone jockey Ashley Boyd found the winners’ circle when first-starter Ellati overcame difficulties to comfortably win the 950m Nutrien Ag Solutions Maiden Plate.
Ellati, owned by Inverell grazier Tim Moses, who also finished third in the Boolooroo Cup later in the day with Stillwell, did everything wrong on Saturday but simply proved too classy.
Boyd, who landed a running double at the meeting, said Ellati overcame difficulties to win easily.
The mare, a well-backed even-one favourite, charged clear when the field straightened for home to win by more than three lengths from stablemate Bold Pulse ($6) and Gavin Groth’s Barrieanna ($4).
“She was a bit green – a first-starter – but she’s got a bit of ability,” Boyd said.
“She did a lot wrong – missed the kick and got chopped out at the start, but I was still confident at the 500m. She won very easily and is a bit better than picnic class, I think.”
Boyd was back in the winners’ circle 40 minutes later for Narromine trainer Terry Fulwood when Stanawi ($8) prevailed by a half-length from Joe Hodgson’s Ilikesooboogie ($8) and Brodie Fenton’s even-money favourite Irish Arthur.
“Stanawi is a consistent horse and he’s had a few issues. Terry has done a good job with him, and got the horse back in form,” Boyd said.
“The horse won at Bourke two starts back and last start at Quambone he was beaten by one that simply handled the sticky track better.
“Stanawi will get through a wet track, but the winner loved it at Quambone and put four lengths on me on the corner,” he said.
“But today, he was an honest little fella and won well.
“The track was a little bit patchy, and off the fence was the place to be. Even though I came along the fence and won, the horse wasn’t fully comfortable in the going,” Boyd said.
Round two of bush racing’s Golden Triangle gets underway at Mallawa on Saturday, June 7, with six races and $50,000 prize money.
The 1400m Mallawa Cup, won last year by Connie Greig’s Inzaghi, is worth $12,000, with the 1000m Mallawa Bracelet worth $10,000. All supporting races are each worth $7000.
Nominations close at 11am on Monday, June 2 with final fields declared at 9am Thursday, June 5.
Words and Images: Bill Poulos
