FLIGHT In Space rocketed down the middle of the long Coonamble straight to land yesterday’s $20,000 Carco Coonamble Cannonball (1100m), the Sue Grills-trained tiny gelding winning his fourth successive race.
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The son of Sequalo, bred and raced by well known Armidale owner/breeder Joe Barbato, was having just his eighth race start.
He’s now won five of those starts, four of them in succession.
Wins at Tamworth, Grafton and Armidale had fallen his way before he went for a spell following his Armidale win in mid-March.
Yesterday he was first up on a Dead 5 track for a trainer who also celebrated a win at her home Tamworth track on Saturday with Missing In Action.
“It’s a big thrill,” Sue Grills told The Leader.
“He’s only a tiny little horse, but tough.
‘That was a good field too. I threw him the deep end a bit. He’s had his share of problems but he always tries his heart out.
“I’ve just spoken to Joe. We probably won’t run him for three weeks now and see how he pulls up.”
Grills also has four runners at today’s Quirindi meeting including Border Flight in the feature John “Mouse” Sinclair Benchmark 55 Handicap (1600m), with young apprentice Adam Sewell to claim 3kg.
Border Flight has drawn well in barrier eight.
“Be nice to win that race too,” she said of a race named in honour of the legendary QJC secretary, John “Mouse” Sinclair.
“Border Flight was a little disappointing last start.
“But Adam claims three (kgs).”
She said the young apprentice was “going good”.
“It’s always hard for the young kids to get rides,” she said.
“But Adam has done well, he’s ridden five winners since he’s been up here.”
The Mouse race is the feature event on a seven-race TAB program where Border Flight was one of the leading chances in a wide open race.
Border Flight and Pauline’s Passion, to be ridden by Greg Ryan, were two of the race favourites.
Ryan is coming off a double at yesterday’s Coonamble meeting and a treble at Tamworth on Saturday.
He has 142.5 winners this season to be vying for the national jockeys’ premiership.
Tamworth jockey Glenn Lynch was the riding star at Coonamble yesterday, powering home with a winning treble aboard Are You Lucky, Ingoing and Iwilldoit.
JOHN “MOUSE” SINCLAIR B 55 MARKET: 6-1 Pauline’s Passion, Border Flight, 7-1 So You Know, Hydrophilic, 8-1 Miss Murphy’s Law, Dimensional, 10-1 Shuttle, 12-1 Run Legless, 14-1 Ima Secret, 20-1 So Cheeky, Havelock Express, 30-1 Crown Madica.
