Hannah Martin and Mr Bourke are all alone in front in the dying stages of the Boggabri IGA Maiden at Gunnedah on Saturday. 090313GRC01
MR BOURKE’S breakthrough win was a hometown success and a big thrill for a syndicate of owners from around the state at Gunnedah on Saturday.
The four-year-old gelding won the Boggabri IGA Maiden Plate (1200m) for Gunnedah trainer Graham Shields and for nine owners, mostly from the Coonamble district, who only bought the horse and brought him north from Victoria last month.
Shields said Kim “Creamy” Meyers spoke to him about buying a horse a few months ago and after one run the connections have one win.
“It all started at a Farrer end of year function,”
“Creamy said he was going to get a horse and it all came from there.
“He and his dad Kevin are in it and they’re all from out at Coonamble and I’m from out there too so that’s how I know them.”
The owners also designed the silks for the horse.
Apprentice Hannah Martin rode Mr Bourke well from barrier one. The gelding didn’t seem to have any difficulty running clockwise around the track and, while the other leaders ran wide, he stuck to the inside alley and sprinted away to win comfortably.
“It was a pretty good run,” Shields said.
“It’s only his first run for me.
“He came from Victoria and there’s nine owners in it from Barradine and Coonamble, from all over the state really.”
Mr Bourke won from Amelia Dreams (Glenn Lynch) by two and a half lengths with Phlang (Sophie Young) one and a half lengths back in third.
The plan for the gelding might now include a run on Narrabri Cup day.
“He trialled well,” Shields said.
“He raced on the 1st of February (in Victoria) and I’ve had him only about a month.
“They’re looking to maybe take him to Narrabri on Narrabri Cup day.”