The whole crowd was holding their collective breath as Coulpa came thundering down the straight in the last race at the Parkes Jockey Club on Saturday afternoon, and when the gelding stuck his neck in front in the shadows of the post, it was a perfect end to an already superlative day for spectators and Parkes trainer Sharon Jeffries.
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The 'little horse that could,' Coulpa, a $600 purchase, surged forward from barrier 8, just heading out Griffin's Gaze ($5 fixed place) before the latter kicked away at the top of the straight from the rails.
Coulpa looked gone for all money, but with veteran Anthony Cavallo aboard the gelding found another gear to beat Griffin's Gaze by a head, with Beaumains flashing home on the rail at big odds, scoring third at the juicy place odds of $12.
Jeffries couldn't be prouder of her horse, who has now racked up $29,675 in prizemoney - not bad for a bush horse that cost just about as much as a rescue dog would!
"He is just a really tough, honest horse," she said.
"It was a real gutsy run and he just keeps improving every start."
Her other runner for the day, Flashlin ($2.50 place), couldn't quite get the win, but the four-year-old gelding out of Zoffany and Bel Shoes was a mile ahead of the rest of the field as he placed second behind the impressive favourite Urus ($2.60) who was never troubled the moment the gates were back.
"He's (Flashlin) a really big horses that finds it hard to quicken but like a truck he just kept coming - he tried his absolute heart out," said Jeffries.
It was certainly the day to be a leader, with five of the seven races dictated from up front - though it must be said track curator and former jockey Dale Jeffries (who also rides trackwork for wife Sharon) had the Good 3 track in fantastic condition.
In the 1400 metres Open Handicap, The Long Run made it nine wins from those 31 outings with Ashleigh Stanley being in the saddle for 8 of those wins for her father, the now Wellington based trainer Peter Stanley.
Heading to the barriers for a race at Cowra last November, Ashleigh was injured when thrown from a bucking horse and while on the sidelines recovering missed three rides on The Long Run.
Back in action, Ashleigh Stanley finished fourth on The Long Run in the Cowra Japan Cup and six days later came the win at Parkes.
Expertly piloted, The Long Run ($4.80) enjoyed a nice run third on the rails before wearing down the leader Redirect ($1.65 fixed place) to win by three-quarters of a length.
Hugh Bowman, a champion jockey most recognised for riding Winx, receives lots of headlines however it was his parents Jim and Mandy Bowman from Dunedoo in the spotlight when their brown gelding Scottish Soldier ($5.50), trained at Mudgee by Mack Griffith won the 1400 metres Parkes Services Club Class 2 Handicap.
Coming from midfield, Scottish Soldier swept past Wiseman ($6 fixed place) and Gossip ($1.90 fixed place) in the straight to score a dominant win from the middle of the track - an even more impressive win given most runners on the day were winning from the lead on the rail.
Completing a double, Mathew Cahill won the 1000 metres Bob Skinner Painting and Decorating Benchmark 58 Handicap on Skullharderson for Nyngan trainer Brett Robb - and the win quickly went viral on social media thanks to the gelding's quirky name.
Cavallo also managed to win a double, with his first win coming atop Emmy's Our Girl in the Hankook Tyres Benchmark 58.
The mare led, like most of the other winners for the day, on the rail and despite a wall of horses charging through she couldn't be bested - meaning she has now won two in a row after winning another Benchmark 58 in Wellington on January 11.
The next race meeting in the Central West will be in Bathurst this Friday.
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