With a sustained sprint from last position in the 12 horse field, Stock Up overhauled the firm favourite Herzegovina to win the $36,000 Gooree Cup over 1400 metres at Mudgee on Saturday.
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Trained at Scone by Scott Singleton, the five-year-old mare Stock Up was ridden by Billy Cray who over recent years has been riding in Australia after a successful apprenticeship in England.
Herzegovina (Koby Jennings, $3.50 favourite) held a handy lead turning for home but was beaten threequarters of a length by Stock Up ($12) with another length to Oakfield Captain (Adrian Layt, $5.50).
From an early quote of $8.50 the odds about Kookabaa shrunk to $3.50 favourite before the Brett Thompson, Gulgong trained gelding won the 1100 metres Tik Tik Memorial Class 3 Handicap.
Thompson's talented apprentice Ronald Simpson jumped his mount quickly from the outside barrier and after racing close to the lead Kookabaa broke clear to win by two lengths from Risk And Reward (Jay Ford, $3.90) and Cash Factor (Anthony Cavallo, $9.50).
Ben (BJ) Hill who was an apprentice, then became a senior jockey at Bathurst, is now a trainer at Wyong and he was a popular winner of the Gooree Park Pastoral Wagyu Class 2 Handicap (1400 metres) with Mahervellous.
Responding to strong riding from Mathew Cahill, Mahervellous ($21) wore down Rocquette (Greg Ryan, $2.50 favourite) to score by a half length with Perfect Peace (Adrian Layt, $3.30) three lengths away third.
Wellington based Kath Bell-Pitomac is riding in good form and she led all the way on the Wayne Martyn, Coonabarabran trained Smokeball ($13) to win the Oriental Hotel Maiden Handicap (1200 metres) from Stellar Blaze (Billy Cray, $4.60) and Tenango (Greg Ryan, $6).
Jay Ford wore the red and black colours of raceday sponsor Gooree Stud when he won the 1600 metres Maiden Plate on the Mack Griffith, Mudgee trained Will To Excel ($5.50) while the other winners were the Cameron Crockett, Scone trained Primal Scream (Adrian Layt, $3.60) and Tresse D'Or (Shaun Guymer, $4.60) from the Jarrod Austin stable at Warwick Farm.
Alison Smith's debutant Mybullet left the inside barrier swiftly and sat at the front of the pack for the first half as Anthony Cavallo had the three-year-old gelding out of the gates quickly as he sat with the eventual first and second place getters Primal Scream and The Poet ($3.40).
Racing continues at Bathurst on Thursday, with Kody Nestor nominating Invincible Thunder, Shazza and Talented Escape.
Racing will then return to Dubbo on Monday, June 1 the following week.
