ALL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY RICHARD GLOVER ON BEHALF OF THE TWIN TOWN TIMES.
Angela Taylor aboard Who Told Ya in the last race at the Harden Picnic races 2019 meeting.
The Harden Picnic Race Committee held their 39th annual Race Meeting at Harden with a large crowd on hand to enjoy a great day of racing. A brief storm the previous evening resulted in a dampening of the dust and allowed for spectators and race goers to enjoy an excellent day of socialising and racing.
Race one commenced at 1:25pm over 1000 metres with the Oxton Park, Benangaroo Station and Redbank North Maiden Plate. My Boy Lubby was the first past the post for trainer Frank Cleary and the first of 2 winners for the day for Jockey Ricky Blewitt.
Jockey Ricky Blewitt aboard My Boy Lubby
My Boy Lubby beat home $1.70 favourite Rozzi by .67 of a length with Win For Time, 8 lengths off them in 3rd place.
Race 2 saw the Jim and Tess Irving Memorial and HM Express Class B Handicap contested over 1100 metres at 2:00pm. The thoroughbred with the second longest odds in the 7 horse field made it home first in Miss Kaanapali to claim the $3060 prize.
Miss Kaanapali and Nothing fight it out.
The Chris Heywood trained Nothing nearly snatched victory going down by just 0.02 lengths or a nostril, with Arrow Haze 3rd.
Race 3 saw a 5 horse field go around at 2:40pm over 1100 metres in the Harden Fuel Supplies and Peisley Transport Handicap. Top weight Original Prankster was first past the post with Benno’s Boy and Depreciation just a neck and a half length away in the minor places.
Original Prankster ridden by Ricky Blewitt was first home in Race 3.
The Pat Brown and Jim Brown Memorial and ABC Freighters Maiden Plate over 1300 metres was contested at 3:25pm. Race 4 was won by Mel Bea ridden by Maddison Wright with Sister Hazel 2 lengths away in 2nd placing with John’s Law rounding out 3rd place.
Mel Bea ridden by Maddison Wright claimed first place in Race 4.
The feature race, the Graymont and Nathan Schofield Carpentry Harden Picnic Cup held some high expectations for last year’s winner Cryfowl and the Spackman stable.
Crywfowl had enjoyed some success at 2 of his last 3 starts by taking out a Benchmark 58 at Grenfell on September 28. Before a half length loss to Mucker at Cootamundra on October 6. The 6 year old gelding came up against some stiff competition on October 19 when he was 11 of 14 at Wagga.
Cryfowl who is owned by a group from Boorowa came into the Spackman stable in August 2018 and has continued to be a consistent performer with 5 2nd placings, a 3rd placing and 5 first placings
Cryfowl was asked to carry 5 kilos more than 5 other horses in the field. The 6 year old gelding went to the lead at the 200 metre mark and held on to win by just over half a length from Georgian Court and Tearful Kitty.
Cryfowl ridden by Brent Evans went back to back in Harden Picnic Cups in 2018 and 2019.
Trainer Scott Spackman was ecstatic with the win. He said “It’s awesome, it’s just means everything to us, for this horse to do what he did, it’s just unbelievable. This horse ran at Wagga and we just had to forget it, he has turned around and gone back to back. Chance Affair won two years in a row. It’s a pretty mean feat.”
There is talk amongst connections that an attempt may be made at a hat-trick but that discussion will be had closer to next year’s Cup.
Angela Taylor aboard Who Told Ya in the final race for the 2019 Harden Picnics.
The Final race of the day, Race 6 held at 4:40pm saw 7 go around the Harden track in the Sir George Tavern and Twin Town Times Class B Handicap over 1400 metres. Who Told Ya trained by Chris Heywood held off John Boy and Bycromac and carried 66 kilos in the process and top weight status.
Who Told Ya claimed its 2nd win of its career and a cheque for $3060, bring career earnings to just over $30,000 from 17 starts.
