The class of Greg Ryan shone through when the champion jockey rode a winning treble with Paleface Ali, Stravali and Prattler on Saturday at the Forbes TAB spring meeting.
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Dubbo-based Ryan, who regularly rides the most number of winners per season in NSW, kicked the day off aboard the David Smith, Mudgee trained Paleface Ali in the 1600m Forbes Machinery Centre/ Shead And Nicholson Benchmark 59 Handicap.
In a fast-run race, Ryan was patient and brought Paleface Ali ($3.50 favourite) from midfield to beat Skygge (Ken Dunbar, $7) and Eskimo King (Alana Skerrit, $16).
Appearing in trouble when a gap closed in the straight, Greg Ryan switched around heels and the Neil Osborne, Canberra trained Stravali ($2.40 fav.) finished best to overhaul Tallyman (Mathew Cahill, $2.60) and Our Enemy (Alana Skerritt, $31) in the Forbes Sport & Recreation Club Maiden Handicap, 1200m.
Greg Ryan then overcame the outside barrier (12) to have Prattler ($6.50) in a good position behind the leaders before winning the Achesons Home Timber & Hardware Benchmark 55 Handicap (1100m) from Saint Cheval (Michael Travers, $13) and Billy Bent Ear (Mathew Cahill, $4 fav.).
When the Canberra trained The Revenant was scratched from the Lachlan Readymix Maiden Handicap (1200m) jockey Greg Ryan was left without a mount. His sister, Wellington trainer Karen McCarroll, won with Head To Toe.
In front from the outset, Head To Toe (Andrew Banks, $3.30 fav.) held on to win by a long neck from She's All Spirit (Mathew Cahill, $3.40) and Milady's Jam (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $9).
Coming from midfield, the Darren Hyde, Dubbo trained Handful Of Aces ($4.20) was the first leg of a double for Andrew Banks when a one length winner over Bella La Belle (Michael Travers, $5) and Northern Myth (Mathew Cahill, $3.70 fav.) in the Forbes Caravan And Cabin Park Class 2 Handicap, 1400m.
The Sydney based Andrew Banks was reared at Gulargambone where a meeting was also held on Saturday.
The cheers could almost be heard from Cobar when Vonnida owned by the Cobar Camels rugby union syndicate won the Forbes Wholesale Trucks/Forbes Dental Surgery Benchmark 55 Handicap, 1100m.
A multiple winner this campaign, the Wayne Prisk, Cobar trained Vonnida (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $9.50) led all the way to account for Clever Buttons (Andrew Banks, $11) and Alone With You (Mathew Cahill, $7).
The TAB spring meeting at Forbes, which coincided with the staging of the inaugural $10 million The Everest at Royal Randwick,was a big success and conducted on an immaculate racecourse prepared by Tom Molloy and Colin Hurford.
Racing at Narromine (Saturday) and Coonabarabran (Monday).
