This weekend our club will host a section of the Zone 4 triples Championships.

Fifteen teams from the Central West will compete with Rounds 1 and 2 played on Saturday and the semi-finals and final on Sunday. It will be a good opportunity to watch some top bowlers in action.

Thursday Bowls

Four games of pairs were played in hot conditions. Greg Huggins and Gladrin Sun surprised the tipsters with a 19 to 13 victory over the experienced pair of John Dunn and Keith MacRae. 

John Taylor and John Ward had a comfortable win over Bob Freeman and Col Mudie 24 to ten.

Bruce Deland and Warren Bevan won the last seven ends to defeat Jim Blake and Col Hayward 18 to 13.

Martin Tighe and Arthur Corbett led Rob Irving and Baldy Frame ten to five at the halfway mark but were unable to hold off their opponents finally losing 23 to 16.

Saturday Bowls

The final game to qualify for the semi-finals of the club fours was played with Ray Jones, Jim Blake, Steve Ryan and Col Mudie opposed to Rob Irving, John Ward, Arthur Corbett and Col Hayward.

Col Mudie’s team combined well to score an easy 21 to 12 victory.

Despite the Zone Triples being played on the weekend, there will be rinks available for social bowls on Saturday afternoon.

Roster Saturday – J. Blake, G. Freeman

Twilight Bowls

Fifty four bowlers enjoyed the pleasant conditions under lights in the first round of the new competition. A number of matches were keenly contested with High Rollers and J and CK playing a ten all draw. 

Three Amigos scored four shots on the last end to defeat Loopy Loppers 13 to 12 while Born Bowlers got three shots on the final end to defeat the Rebells ten to nine.

New teams and individuals are most welcome to join in the fun. You don’t need previous bowls experience. Just get a team of three people together and come along for a friendly night of bowls. All you need to do is be at the club at 6.30pm on Thursdays.

Pennants

A trial match was played against the Railway Club on Friday evening with six rinks of fours.

All matches were evenly contested with the biggest winning margin being only seven shots.

PBSC were successful winning four rinks to two and scoring 104 shots to 90.

The return match will be played at the railway club on Friday, February 23 commencing at 6pm. Pennants for all grades start on Sunday, March 4.

Coming Events

Bowlers get your nominations in for the Men's Singles and Pairs Championships. For more information about the club please visit www.pbsc.com.au.

Entries for club Fours close on Wednesday, February 14. Pennants start on February 27.

Last Wednesday six ladies enjoyed a happy social game, Roxanne Parker, Pauline Currey, Dawn Parker versus Shirley Bishop, Janice Robinson, Evelyn Gibson.

Wednesdays are normal bowls days come to enjoy a social game .

Thought for week is ‘For every minute you're angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness’.

Finals

There will be a presentation after each timeslot. Thanks to all of the players, parents, helpers and supporters for another great season of junior touch footy.

5.30pm:

6.20pm:

Forbes Golf Course was the venue for the Parkes/Forbes golf competition last week. Thirty-six players competed for the Mick Miller Shield, which Forbes narrowly won, 149 points to 146.

The Forbes boys claimed all the awards of the day. Barry Parker won the individual competition on a count-back from Gary Collits, 27 points each.

Lynnie Roberts took out the encouragement award.

Alf Davies and Tony Cogswell were nearest the pin in A grade and Rod Besgrove and Tom Edols were nearest in the pin in B grade.

This week we travel to Condobolin for the continuation of the Lachlan Valley 18 Holes competition and the Coles/Miller Shield. The bus will leave Parkes Golf Club at 8am.

-by MCL

Netball is just around the corner with our ladies competition due to start on Tuesday, February 27.

This year we will be running a 12 week competition with finals to follow.  The cost for adults to play this season has been discounted to $150.

Great news this year for our junior players! 

Parkes and District Netball Association are registered with Active Kids, therefore juniors are able to play netball for free if they choose to use their voucher for netball! 

For those talented sportspeople who choose to use their voucher elsewhere, the cost is $100 for junior players.

Make sure you claim your active kids voucher here before registering for netball www.servisce.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active-kids-voucher.

Visit the Parkes Netball website for team sheet and any further information www.parkesna.nsw.com.au.

All registrations will be made online this year as well as payments direct to Parkes Netball.

Registrations close on Monday, February 19 so make sure you log into your MyNetball account www.mynetball.com.au to sign up today. It’s going to be a great.

-by Lisa Nutley 

Until recently five year old This Is Livin’ was regarded as the poor relation of eight year old full brother Zarhron, the winner of the Japan Cowra Cup for the last four years for Cowra trainer Andrew Molloy and Crookwell based owner Ashley Gilbert.

Zarhron has won 12 races from 31 starts while This Is Livin’,also trained by Andrew Molloy for Ashley Gilbert and his friends, took 18 starts to post the first win,in a Maiden Handicap at Narromine in December, but has since won at Parkes and again at Gilgandra on Saturday.

Given a good run behind the leading pair in the Gilgandra Newspapers Class 2 Handicap (1550 metres), This Is Livin’ (Ken Dunbar, $2.20 favourite) took control in the straight and won by over two lengths from Dream In Colour (Vad Bolozhinskyi, $7.50) and Steam Machine (Tony Cavallo, $14).

Local trainer Bryan Dixon landed a winning double at Gilgandra including Return Journey,winner of the feature race, the Tooraweenah Cup,a Benchmark 54 Handicap over 1000 metres.

Possessed of abundant early pace, the eight year old mare Return Journey (Clayton Gallagher, $3.70) was attacked for the lead by another speedster Gillie Mooch but fought on well to beat Savannah Girl (Kaylee Kirkwood, $7.50) And Chatteriz (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $3.60).

Second leg of the double for Bryan Dixon was Sugar Lane (Adam Spinks, $6) an all the way winner of the Roach’s Contracting Benchmark 50 Handicap (1280 metres) from Huka Pele (Eleanor Webster-Hawes, $41) and More Than Art (Ken Dunbar, $17).

A winning double also for apprentice Clayton Gallagher when he led most of the way on the Rodney Robb, Nyngan trained Madison Gardens ($2.25 fav.) to defeat Outta Space (Michael Hackett, $2.40) and East Coast (Greg Ryan, $11) in the Chandler Gilgandra Maiden Handicap,1200 metres.

Other Gilgandra winners were the Garry Lunn, Dubbo trained Pretty Pine (Alena Skerritt, $6) and Cunningar Lass (Greg Ryan, $1.70 fav.) trained at Wyong by Allan Denham.

Back racing at Dubbo on Thursday this week after extensive track improvements .

The famous Bedgerabong Picnics held on one of the prettiest racecourses in Australia is on Saturday while Bathurst backing up from the Cup meeting will race again next Monday.

Bathurst raced Sunday, February 11

Warwick Farm trainer Jarrod Austin has now won two feature races in the region with Hirokin,the 2017 Gooree Cup at Mudgee and on Sunday the $50,000 Ray White Emms Mooney Bathurst Cup.

Leading for most of the way, Hirokin ($6) with Mitchell Bell in the saddle, at the end of the 1800 metres Bathurst Cup prevailed in a dramatic four way photo finish.

Almost causing a huge upset the Greg Hook, Rylstone trained $81 rank outsider Subway Surfer (Ken Dunbar) after racing in the leading pack finished second beaten a long head while Cowra Cup winner Illyrian (Michael Heagney, $16) was a head away third with a nose margin to the fourth placed Letter To Juliette (Mathew Cahill, $2.10 favourite).

Greg Hook, proud of the fighting performance by Subway Surfer, has a special association with the Bathurst Cup as his father Greg Hook trained Greg’s King winner of the 1967 and 1968 Cups, ridden both times by Cowra jockey Reg Paine.

Feature sprint, the $35,000 Lithgow Furniture and Bedding Bill Aspros Showcase Cup (1200 metres) was won by Final Trick, trained at Hawkesbury by Mitchell and Desiree Kearney.

Against a field of speedsters,Final Trick (Winona Costin, $16) led all the way for a close win over Barricade (Greg Ryan, $3.70) and the Paul Theobald, Bathurst trained Dunderry (Ken Dunbar, $61).

Mudgee trainers had a successful meeting with Gayna Williams leading in a winning double,Bow River (Grant Buckley, $4.20 equal favourite) and Iona Nicconi (Grant Buckley, $7) while Cameron Crockett won with Ori On Fire (Chad Lever, $2.25 favourite).

Ridden to perfection by Dubbo apprentice Chris Williams, the Lee Van Den Bos, Orange trained Loves A Hassle ($3.80) gained a rails run in the straight to win the CDRA Championship Preview- Gold Circle Cup (( 1300 metres) from Raise A Drop (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $13) and Turcotte (Chad Lever, $5).

Stradazzle ($5.50) ridden by Claire Nutman for Hawkesbury trainer Wade Slinkard won the 2700 metres Edney Ryan’s - The Barb Cup while another Hawkesbury galloper Staggering (Mitchell Bell, $7) trained by Scott Singleton won the Club Lithgow Rising Prince Cup- Maiden Showcase Handicap,1300 metres.

-by Colin Hodges