Aesop's Fable wrote another winning chapter in her story at Coonamble on Sunday as she added the Coonamble Cup to her Dubbo Gold Cup success of a month ago.
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The Peter Sinclair-trained mare stormed home to take out the $75,000 feature and make it two wins from three starts under the guidance of the veteran Moree trainer.
But while the Dubbo Cup wasn't originally in the plans - Sinclair only entered Aesop's Fable after the Moree Cup was washed out - the Coonamble Cup was always a target.
That, and the Coonabarabran Cup, which will be her next assignment in a couple of weeks.
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As Sinclair explained co-owner Dominic Neate is "from out there" and had sent her to him with winning the Coonamble and Coonabarabran Cups in mind.
The second favourite behind Nick Olive's Ready to Humble, Sinclair said the race went better than planned.
After drawing barrier 15 of 16, he was admittedly "very fearful".
"I just said to [jockey] Ash (Morgan) go back and ride her for luck," he said.
His concern was that having to come across from the second outside barrier, she would "get too far back".
But Morgan produced a gem of a ride.
"His ride was as good a ride as you'll ever see," Sinclair said.
"He rode her perfect."
He was able to get the five-year old across to settle in the middle of the field on the rail and then find a trail through the middle in the straight.
Even still, at the 200 she was giving the leaders a couple of lengths.
But similar to her run at Dubbo, she flashed home over the closing stages.
"She's got a great will to win," Sinclair said.
He didn't actually see the race live.
He was driving back to Moree with his two earlier runners.
"I had four horses, two in the first and two in the last couple," he said.
"We took two separate trailers down to give the last two a chance."
It would have otherwise been 11 hours from leaving to racing for them.
Listening to the call on the radio, Sinclair conceded he didn't know whether she was going to get there.
Aesop's Fable went on to win by a length from Scott Singleton's Rich and Shameless with Ready to Humble another length away third.
Sinclair said the bay or brown mare is "a pleasure" to have around.
"She's the loveliest mare, she's beautiful to deal with at home," he said.
It's now just a matter of keeping her "fresh enough" for the second part of the mission.
Carrying 57kg on Sunday, he expects her to pick up another kilo or two.
Craig Martin's Ishim also made it back-to-back wins with the Tamworth-trained mare taking out the Class 1 Showcase Handicap.
Tamworth jockey Brent Evans meanwhile capped off a successful weekend by piloting the Brett Robb-trained On A Promise to a four-length victory in the $50,000 Showcase Picnic Champion.
Evans had on Saturday chalked up a double at Albury.
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