Narrabri Harness Racing Club held its annual Carnival of Cups TAB meeting on Sunday afternoon at the Narrabri Showground where the Greg Pay-trained Bid For Stardom was crowned the 2021 Shop2390 Narrabri Cup champion.
Dubbo’s James Sutton drove the four-year-old gelding to a 19-metre victory in the sixth race of the day which was contested across 2560 metres. Bid For Stardom started on the second row wearing the number eight saddlecloth and quickly charged out to a lead that he would never surrender.
One Narrabri pacer took part in that race which was the Jarred Hetherington-trained Vinnie The Poet which finished seventh in the eight-horse field.
The John Dean Memorial and Santos Cup finals were also contested following those two events’ heats which were held at the club’s annual non-TAB meeting on Easter Monday, April 5.
The 1760-metre Luke McGrath Farrier Service John Dean Memorial final was the sixth race of the day on Sunday. It was won by the Anthony Missen-trained, Blake Hughes-driven $1.90 favourite Hand Writer which started from the third barrier wearing the number four saddlecloth.
Hetherington-trained Miss Maravu finished seventh out of 10 horses in that race and the Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Killara Insanity finished ninth.
The 2160-metre Santos Cup was the seventh race of the day. It was won by the $3 favourite I’m So Better as Hughes and Missen combined for their second cup victory on the day. Hughes drove I’m So Better, which started from the second row wearing the number 10 saddlecloth, to a half-neck victory over the Anthony Varga-trained-and-driven Mac Stubborn.
The Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Montana Nights finished fourth in that race after running home less than five metres behind I’m So Better.
The eighth and final race of the day was the highly-anticipated 1760-metre Western Namoi Vet Service and Narrabri Farm Centre Club Menangle Country Series heat. It was won by the Richard Williams-trained-and-driven Everything Happens which started next to pole position wearing the number three saddlecloth.
Starting from pole position was the Hetherington-trained Broken Ark which finished ninth.
Races one to four were the 2160-metre Logan and Co Furniture and Bedding, Bi Rite and Coates Hire Service Pace, the 2160-metre Johnstone Concrete and Landscape Supplies and NRMA Narrabri Lynton Pace, the 1760 Max Orman Toyota, Carla Baxter Real Estate and Camstart Pharmacy Pace and the 2160-metre Namoi Hotel and Bottle Shop and Daisy’s Water Carrier Service Pace.
Lola Weidemann-trained duo Brock Sing and Miss Catalina won races one and two respectively, the John Lew-trained All Spruced Up won race three and the Julie Hobday-trained Talk To Me Baby took out race four.
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