A delightful double

The Stricklands won the $25,000 TLE Electrical Sky Gold Bega Cup with Sebony and one of the main supporting races with his stablemate Mr Massee.

The Stricklands have been trying to win the Bega Cup for the past seven years and have come close several times before.

Former stable star, Shy Prince, owned by Betty and Neville Rolfe, ran second twice and also finished fourth and fifth in a long career, and another Strickland runner The Heathen, finished second in the 2004 Bega Cup to Not Fussy.

But Sebony’s win in the 1600 metre feature race broke a 10-year drought - which was doubly appropriate given the shire’s best rains for years last week- since a local horse had won the Bega Cup.

Angry Jat, trained at Bega by Ray “Nugget” Wheatley, scored here in 2000, when the race was run over 2100 metres.

It was a day to savour for the Stricklands, who have a wonderful strike rate at their home track with five winners from eight starters at the Sapphire Coast track this season.

Both wins were tough, hard-fought wins by horses trained to the moment.

Sebony ($8) did it especially tough racing three-wide most of the way until he hit the front 200 metres out then held off a strong late challenge from the Nick Olive trained Predominance ($5.50) to score by a head with a short neck to Big Huey ($6.50) third.

Mr Massee was up on the speed all the way in the Bega Carpet Choice Benchmark 55 handicap over 1600 metres and went to the front at the top of the straight.

He opened up a clear lead until challenged late by Covers ($14) which ran him to a head margin with a long neck to The Boondock Saint ($4.20) third.

It was the third win in a row for Mr Massee following victories here on January 9 and Moruya on January 18 and gave indications that he may develop into a Bega Cup horse next year.

Sebony’s win followed victories in the Adaminaby and Cooma Cups late last year and capped a wonderfully consistent career which has now yielded 11 wins and 11 top three finishes for the six-year-old gelding from 31 starts and took his prizemoney total to $96,000.

The horse was bred and raised at his Wapengo property by octogenarian owner George Bullock, who was at the track to see the Bega Cup win with his nephew and part-owner Malcolm Bullock of Canberra.

After the race, Michelle Strickland said she was really excited to win the cup for the Bullocks who had been great supporters of the stable

Malcolm, who accepted the trophy, said he knew how much the win meant to Chris, George and Michelle who had worked so hard with the horse.

The track raced magnificently after 238mm of rain was recorded there on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week, including a downpour of 90mm in the space of a couple of hours on Friday.

Winners came from all positions in the field with one of the features the number of winners and placegetters who were able to make their runs along the rails.

The meeting also provided great promotional exposure for the Sapphire Coast with strong TAB wagering right around the country aided by the live hosting on course provided by Sky Channel personality Matthew Browning.

While winners are grinners, the heartbreak story of the day belonged to Bega’s Bruce Stewart who recently took up training again after a long break and looked to have landed his first winner when the aptly named Heartbreak Pass ($26) was first past the post in the Bega Betta Electrical Benchmark 60 handicap over 1000 metres.

But he had the race taken from him by stewards when the second horse Jolly Joker ($3) had the last laugh when its rider, apprentice Natasha Winton, protested successfully against interference caused to her mount over the last 150 metres.

It also brought up three straight wins for Jolly Joker who had scored previously at Queanbeyan and at Moruya.

Good things came in twos for winning trainers and jockeys on Sunday.

The Stricklands had a winning double, including the Bega Cup, as did Queanbeyan trainer Mick Smith and Moruya trainer Colbey Hill and jockeys Michael Travers and Kayla McEwen.

In a day of top quality racing, two of the best rides of the day came from the Queanbeyan apprentice McEwen to get two long priced winners home for Hill: Appalachian at $18 in the $15,000 Bega Cheese Bega Town Plate over 1100 metres and Conciliatory at $10 in the Radio 2EC Benchmark 55 handicap over 1200 metres.

Replacement riders also made the most of their opportunities with Grant Buckley, Wagga apprentice Natasha Winton and Canberra apprentice Ben Moffatt all winning on pickup rides after the jockeys listed were either late arriving at the course or unable to ride because of illness.

Smith repeated his success of Bega Cup day last year when he landed two winners including For Cruyff’s Sake ($3.40) in the $18,000 Phil Harris Sapphire Coast Cup over 2200 metres.

For Cruyff’s Sake won the same race last year when it was raced over 1600 metres.

His other winner was Greed is Great ($6) in the first race of the day, the Visy Maiden Handicap over 1100 metres which dashed clear in the straight after being up with the lead all the way to score by a length from the favourite Billy ($3.80) with a further two-and-a-quarter lengths to Camrun ($21) third.

Both Smith’s winners were ridden by Michael Travers.

The day’s longest priced winner was Casts a Shadow at $61 for Queanbeyan trainer Jack Van Duren in the Bega Chamber of Commerce Maiden Plate over 1400 metres, though it paid $116 for the win and $25.70 the place on the NSW TAB.

The next Sapphire Coast Turf Club race meeting will be on Sunday, May 2.