IT WAS on for young and old when an elderly owner brought a horse with bad legs all the way from the central west to the Sapphire Coast to carry off the Kennedy and Cooke Lawyers Merimbula Cup in fine style on Saturday.
Trainer Brett Rosen said that because of leg problems, Brisk Crown had not had a saddle on his back for 17 days since it finished down the track at Wagga Wagga on December 24.
Owner Ron Baxter, a sprightly 88-year-old, who was president of the Illawarra Turf Club for 10 years and who was confidently tipping his horse before the race, made the round trip from his home in Wollongong to the course to see his horse win, and then saddled up for the five-and-a-half drive to his farm at Young.
Rosen said that Brisk Crown had not worked on the track since his last race because of leg problems.
“We have just swum him and worked him on the jogging machine,” he said, a program that had the horse cherry ripe for his run here.
Brisk Crown, which looked the class horse of the field on his earlier career form, missed the start by half a length from his outside barrier but quickly went around the field to set up a three-length lead.
Local track queen, Gelderbelle, challenged gamely in the straight and may have headed the winner for a stride a two but the distance proved too far for her and Brisk Crown forged away over the last 100 metres to win going away.
Confidently ridden by Goulburn jockey Richard Bensley, who brought up a winning treble in the cup, Brisk Crown ($4.80) scored by a length-and-a-half from Gelderbelle ($6.50) with a further two lengths to Guarded Prince ($2.30) third.
Ailing trainer Benny Wynen was released from Bega Hospital to come to the track to watch the race and said he was well-pleased with both his own progress and the performance of his favourite horse.
Bega trainer Ray “Nugget” Wheatley, who is also recuperating from a stroke, had a runner on the day with Littoral finishing fourth just behind the placegetters in the 1100 metre maiden handicap.
The meeting was dominated by the performances of Bensley, with his three winners, and the Bombala family connection of leading Canberra trainer Barbara Joseph with two winners, and her brother Bob Kimber with one.
Most of the winners on the seven-race TAB program also had strong previous form on the track.
Michael’s Gift, trained by Bob Kimber, made it three wins from three starts here with his last stride win in the My Merimbula Class 2 handicap over 1400 metres.
In fact his only three race wins have been at the Sapphire Coast.
Michael’s Gift ($3.10) prevailed by a long head from Tough Habit ($4.20) with a length-and-three-quarters to Shwedagon ($8) third.
The only local winner was The Catwalk Star, trained by Chris and Michelle Strickland, which broke through for a well-deserved victory after two seconds at her last two starts on the track in the Merimbula Plumbing Class 1 handicap over 1600 metres
The Catwalk Star ($5) led all the way to score by two lengths from another local galloper in Sea Urchin ($9) trained by Scott Watson, with a long head to Razzo ($4.60) third.
The Stricklands’ other runners Run for Office and Mr Massee could manage only fourth and sixth placings in their respective races.
The Catwalk Star has been a model of consistency with two wins and three seconds now from her six starts on her home track.
The most impressive winner on the day was Brodicon which flashed down the outside of the track, which favoured leaders, to make up many lengths in the last race of the day, the Merimbula RSL Club Class 2 handicap over 1000 metres.
Brodicon ($6.50) trained by Mark Macdonald at Moruya and the widest of the nine runners round the turn, scored by a half-neck from Kala Maid ($4.60) which had opened up a big gap on the field halfway down the straight, with a further two lengths to Tennessee Madam ($4) third.
The four-year-old gelding now has two wins and a second from his five starts on the track.
Ms Joseph’s two winners came early in the day in the two maiden races.
Assertive Az ($2.80), a four-year-old mare having her seventh start, won the Merimbula Engineering maiden plate over 1400metres by a long neck from Bound for Dubai ($2.40) with a further two-and-a-quarter lengths to I’m an Act ($16), trained locally by Mark Ubrihien, third.
But her surprise packet was Linebacker ($13) which led all the way at only his third race start to take out the Merimbula Tourism maiden handicap over 1100 metres by three-quarters of a length from Riebeek ($3.40) with a further two-and-a-half lengths to Arena Force ($11) third.
Black Sensation, which won the Guideline South Coast Rating 57 handicap over 1200 metres, was another to prove the horses for courses theory.
The five-year-old mare trained by John Nisbet in Canberra has now won three times from her four starts on the track.
Black Sensation ($6) always looked to have control of the race and swept to the front 200 metres out to score by a length-and-a-quarter from Riverwina Prince ($4.60) with a further length to Mexican Wind ($5.50) third.
The next Sapphire Coast Turf Club meeting is the feature Bega Cup race day on Sunday, February 1.
The program includes three open handicaps worth $20,000 plus each including the Bega Cup over 2200 metres, the Sapphire Coast Cup over 1400 metres and the Bega Town Plate over 1100 metres.
Race broadcaster Sky Channel will provide a live hosting from the track making it the featured race meeting nationally on the day.