Not much happening this week due to the high temperatures.

Thursday was cancelled due to 40 + heat and only two games were played on Saturday when the mercury reached high thirties.

In a game of Triples, Greg Townsend, Graham Dixon and Bob Freeman played a very close game against Col Mudie, Gordon Dickson and Ray Jones.

Team Townsend won the first three ends to lead 3-0 but Team Mudie were in front 7-3 after six ends.

The lead changed hands a couple of times but with two ends to play Team Townsend were in front 16-14.

Team Mudie scored single shots on the last two ends to tie the match 16 all but Team Townsend claimed “bragging rights” having won the ends 11-10.

The Jackpot wasn’t won this week and will carry over to next Thursday.

In the other match, Col Hayward and Greg Huggins were too good for Tom Furey and Rob Irving, winning 22-12.

Australia Day Open Mini Carnival

All bowlers are invited to nominate a team of four for our Open Mini Carnival to be held on Saturday January 26. The event will be sponsored jointly by Neville Trainor of Parkes Auto Wreckers and Dave Littlewood of Littlewood Smash repairs.

Dress will be “mufti” and teams can be all male, all female or mixed and play will commence at 10 AM.

The format will be:

Total prize money is $1000.

Entry fee is $20 per player, which includes a BBQ lunch.

Entries can be made by phoning the Club or put your entry into the book provided at the Club.

Please note that play on the day will depend on the temperature. A decision will be made on Friday evening if the event will go ahead or not and you can contact the club on 6862 1446.

Zone Championships

Members are reminded that Entry Forms for the Zone Championships are on the notice board at the club.

The closing date for the Singles events is February 8 and for the Pairs events the closing date is January 27.

Badge Draw

The badge draw wasn’t won last week and will be worth $3600 this week. As usual, it will  be drawn on Friday night at about 8.30 after the raffle.

Hope to see you at the club for the chance to enjoy a great Pub style meal, win cash, a meat, tray or voucher and (if you are a Member) having a chance to take home the Badge Draw jackpot..

The Rookie

Andrew Molloy had already trained the winners of several country Cups however to win his hometown Cup at Cowra with Welcome Art was special for the talented young horseman.

Welcome Art had good form going in to the $32,000 Cowra Lamb-Cowra Cup ( 1700 metres) on Sunday but surprised even the closest connections with such a dominant win against good quality opposition.  

Brilliantly ridden by ace apprentice Billy Owen, Welcome Art ( $6 ) settled midfield before bursting to the lead in the straight and powering to a three and a half lengths win over Gilgandra Cup winner Mackellars Love ( Mathew Cahill,$3.80 favourite ) and the 2017 Cowra Cup winner Uncle Sugar ( Greg Ryan, $5.50 ).

A member of the much admired Bill Molloy family, Andrew Molloy who trains Welcome Art for Reg and Fay Walker from Cowra, had previously won a Forbes Cup with Flabbergasted and with At The Show, won the Parkes Cup, Martin Whiteley Cup at Dubbo, Anniversary Cup at Goulburn and the Snake Gully Cup at Gundagai.

The day prior to the Cowra meeting, Andrew Molloy’s brother Allan Molloy who has been a professional harness racing trainer-driver in Canada for the past ten years won a race at Fraser Downs Paceway in Vancouver.

Punters arriving at Cowra were amazed to see the magnificent turf track prepared by Barry Wall during extreme heatwave conditions.

Many of the racegoers were there to cheer the nine year old Zarhron, trained by Andrew Molloy for Ashley Gilbert from Crookwell, as the champion country sprinter attempted to win the Breakout River Meats Cowra Japan Cup ( 1200 metres ) for the fifth year in succession.

Zarhron held a slender lead turning for home but although fighting hard all the way to the line finished a creditable sixth with victory going to the Chris Heywood, Wagga Wagga trained Fermanagh Lad ( Blaike McDougall, $3.50 ) from the fast finishing Gadfly ( Greg Ryan, $7 ) trained at Condobolin by Mark Ward and the Ken Parsons, Cowra trained Heza Thief ( Billy Owen, $21 ).

The locals were cheering again when Sonic Girl produced a big performance to win the Jamieson’s Joinery Benchmark 58 Handicap Over 1200 metres for Cowra trainer Danny Parsons.

From well back in the 14 Horse field, Sonic Girl ( Greg Ryan, $6.50 ) rushed home to account for Eyesaw ( Tony Cavallo, $4.80 favourite ) and Sons Of Bourke ( Andrew Banks, $9 ).

Bathurst trainers also had a successful day at Cowra with Roy McCabe winning with Gaze Beyond ( Andrew Banks, $14 ) and Dean Mirfin with Alcatran ( Chelsea Ings, $3.60 ).

Racing at Parkes on Saturday and Bathurst on Tuesday, January 29.

Colin Hodges