Kid Montana wins the Armidale Cup

Narrabri’s golden gelding Kid Montana has done it again, this time racing to an Armidale Cup victory on Sunday afternoon.

Driven by Narrabri reinsman and part owner Chris Shepherdson, the five-year-old pacer started from the back row wearing the number nine saddlecloth in the 2360-metre Tattersalls Hotel Armidale Cup.

He sped away to a 4.6-metre victory which was his sixth win of the 2019-20 season in 12 starts for owners Peter, Garry and Chris Shepherdson, Neil Drysdale and Nathan and Charles Dicks.

It was Kid Montana’s third consecutive win following back-to-back victories at Albion Park, his fourth in his five previous starts, and his 23rd in 60 career runs.

He started the race as the $1.25 favourite among a field of seven which was scheduled to be nine but was impacted by two scratchings.

With two-and-a-half laps left to run he settled just behind four frontrunners in fifth position.

However a strong charge down the straight as the pacers ran past the home post for the second time saw him advance to third, then with a lap-and-a-half to go he had eased his way into the lead.

With just one lap to go Kid Montana still led by two-three metres.

Several other runners, including the Jarred Hetherington-trained Corporal Luna, attempted to outrace Kid Montana but he led comfortably coming into the home turn then he charged down the final straight to finish first and add the Armidale Cup to his resume.

It was the champion pacer’s third cup win after claiming both the Wee Waa Cup and Narrabri Cup last year at the Narrabri Harness Racing Club’s two meetings respectively.

He earned $6240 in prizemoney for the Armidale Cup victory which took his career earnings to $116,538.

Sunday’s race actually finished as a Narrabri quinella, with Corporal Luna placing second.

Also involved in the race were the Hetherington-trained Padrisimo, which finished fifth, and the Garry Shepherdson-trained Future Fun, which ran last.

The Armidale Cup race was the fifth of the afternoon at Sunday’s seven-race program.

In the sixth there were more celebrations for the local owners when the Peter Shepherdson-trained Capital Cullect was driven to victory by Chris Shepherdson.

Capital Cullect started the 1980-metre race from the second row wearing the number 10 saddlecloth and despite being a $23 outsider secured a four-metre victory.

That was the six-year-old mare’s fourth win in 18 starts this season, and her fifth in 53 career starts.

Meanwhile, as reported in Tuesday’s Courier, this season’s Narrabri Harness Racing Club meets will go ahead without fans in attendance on Sunday, April 5, and Monday, April 13.