MATT Panton might not have won a $3.5million Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens but the former Country rugby union fullback still kicked a racing goal on Saturday.
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For Panton and wife Katie it was a huge thrill to attend their first Golden Slipper and, with around 35,000 other racegoers, watch the world’s richest juvenile race unfold.
He owns a 10 per cent share of Cavalry Rose, who tried hard but finished eighth to the unbeaten Gai Waterhouse-trained colt Pierro.
While Pierro earned his connections $2million, Cavalry Rose still added to the $284,000 prizemoney she had won by picking up $50,000 for Panton and his fellow syndicate owners.
One of those syndicate members is Tamworth publican Matt Zell, who dubbed the Charge Forward filly “The People’s Champ” as she has a number of working class owners such as himself and
Panton.
Cavalry Rose is the first horse Panton has ever been in and she gave him a huge thrill on Saturday despite her middle of the field performance.
Christian Reith rode her for trainer Gerald Ryan, his first time aboard the talented filly.
“The toughest filly I’ve ever ridden. A star in the making,” Reith said after the race.
He also told Panton she’d be much better next time after a spell.
“It’s been great fun,” Panton said yesterday.
“It was a big day, a great experience but we had to wait a fair while until late in the day for the race.
“It was a big buzz going down into the mounting yard and talking to Gerald Ryan and listen to the instructions he gave Christian.
“It was just a little unlucky she was a bit tardy out of the gates and went back to about 10th.
“I knew it was going to be hard from back there but at one stage, when all the gaps opened up for her, I thought she might finish third or fourth.
“Christian said she just didn’t ping when he went for her.
“He thought last week might have just taken a bit out of her.”
Moree Race Club and Lightning Ridge Race Club also staged big Easter meetings on Saturday where the Robbie Harrison-trained Temperate Prince won the Lightning Ridge Cup (see Page 24) and Russian Empire won the Retravision Moree Benchmark 54 Handicap for his Moree syndicate and trainer (see Page 23).
Today the Muswellbrook Race Club stages a big eight-race TAB meeting at which connections of six and possibly seven runners in the Kentan Machinery Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1000m) will be vying for prize money to qualify their horses for the rich Inglis Challenge at Scone on May 18.
Cadel’s Luck, Morceli, Our Danny Boy, Piamimi, Raasay Rose, The Red Mouse and second emergency, Good Intent, were all bought at last year’s Scone yearling sale with the hope of qualifying for the $100,000 Inglis 2YO Challenge (1100m).
Gunnedah Coursing Club and Coonabarabran & District Greyhound Racing Club also have meetings today, with Coonabarabran staging the GRNSW Country Challenge Free For All Final over 545m.
Eagleton Lad (Ranald Dawes) and Go Jessie’s Girl (Norm Beecroft) won Country Challenge FFA heats on
Saturday.