They say sharing is caring and that’s exactly what happened at the Tamworth Jockey Club on Tuesday.
There was seven races at Tamworth with seven different winning jockeys and six different winning trainers across the card.
Tamworth trainer Melanie O’Gorman bucked the trend to win back-to-back races at Tamworth.
Firstly, Cut The Mustard won her first race ever at her home track as the mare raced in blinkers for the first time.
The daughter of Arlington had not won in five previous attempts at Tamworth but Rachael Murray’s excellent ride ended that drought. The four-year-old posted a long neck win from Brett Cavanough’s Al Cubana in the $20,000 TAB.com.auClass 3 Handicap (1600m).
Murray was caught three wide early when Ben Looker (First Family) and Matt McGuren (Al Cubana) kicked up inside her.
With blinkers attached for the first time, Murray wasn’t sure whether Cut The Mustard would settle but was delighted when she did.
It was the only concern she had.
“She was so in the zone today,” Murray told O’Gorman after the race.
“Nothing was going to beat her today. She was going to win as soon as I got on her back.”
It was also a great result for former Tamworth Jockey Club president Terry Burke, who is also patron of the TJC.
He and great friend, John Smyth, race Cut The Mustard. The only disappointment being Smyth was feeling a little too crook to make the flight up to Tamworth today.
“It was her first win at Tamworth,” Burke said.
“A nice ride, too, by Rachael.”
O’Gorman was concerned about the blinkers.
“I hoped she didn’t over-race with the blinkers. I did think we were in trouble when they kicked up inside Rachael,” O’Gorman said.
O’Gorman then doubled up when Sydney Approach won the $20,000 Thread Effects Maiden Plate (1600m).
O’Gorman celebrated her running double with Hong Kong owner Samuel Kam who’d made the trip to Tamworth. Luke Cumberland had the winning ride.
From barrier one, Cumberland had Sydney Approach midfield on the fence before spearing off the paint at the turn to find a perfect run entering the straight.
“He was perfect,” Cumberland told O’Gorman and Kam after unsaddling.
“Jumped well and sprinted well today, he improved five lengths on his last run.”
Improve is a word O’Gorman has used a lot in regards to Sydney Approach of late.
“He’s a big horse, 17 hands,” she said.
“Very relaxed though. He’s an easy horse to train.
“We gave him two trials to start with. After the first I didn’t know if he was going to make it but after the second he trialled well and it was if the penny had dropped.
“Around the stable it was as though he knew he was a racehorse.”
O’Gorman said he continued to gain confidence and improve after running a good second at Armidale and then third at Scone.
“I think he’s going to be a real nice horse. He’s only in his first prep and done a really good job. I was going to give him a rest win, lose or draw now so we’ll give him a spell,” she said.
That Sydney Approach was “cranky” in the stable also signalled to Melanie that it might be time to give him a six-week spell in a paddock and then bring him back for another lash.
