Hundreds of racegoers flocked to the Narrabri Racecourse on Saturday as horse racing returned to town for the first time since 2019.
Local owner Leanne Booby and her partner Kim Meyers were all smiles when 3.30pm rolled around and Manabar raced to a three-and-a-half-length Santos Narrabri Cup victory.
Booby and Meyers are both part of ‘Outback Syndicate’, which owns the nine-year-old gelding.
Manabar is trained by the Kootingal-based Michelle Fleming and was ridden to his 11th win in his 67th start by Scone jockey Matthew Palmer.
Manabar started Saturday’s $16,000, 1200-metre feature race as the $3.20 favourite and sat in behind the pace before taking off with 400 metres left to run and charging to a comfortable victory.
Palmer was thrilled with the win, which was his second of the day.
“He bounced out and they ran along really quick sectionals through the middle stages of the race, and we sort of positioned up third and fourth on the fence with the run of the race on the hot speed,” Palmer told NSW Country and Picnic Racing writer Jeff Hanson.
“I pulled him out at the 400 metres, and he lengthened. He is a horse that likes a bit of room, and he likes some daylight and when we found the front, he really run through the line strongly.
“It was good to see him doing that off the back of taking a sit – it was a good win.”
Manabar earned $9065 in prizemoney for that victory, which was his second since he won the Gunnedah Cup back in May, 2020.
The Jacob Golden-ridden Delchuzy placed second in the Santos Narrabri Cup for Baan Baa trainer Nicole Shields, while the Madeline Owen-ridden Epic Decision placed third for Gunnedah trainer Gavin Groth.
Earlier in the day, Rising Risk took out the 1000-metre Whitehaven Maiden Plate for Gunnedah trainer Sue Bigg.
Fellow Gunnedah trainer Groth won the 1200-metre Tim Bell Memorial Class One Handicap with Foreign Brother.
The third race of the day was the 1500-metre Tourist Hotel Sponsors Wee Waa Cup – Benchmark 58 Handicap, which was won by Trogir for Inverell trainer Todd Payne.
Matthew Palmer won his first race of the day in the 1500-metre Narrabri Jockey Club Class One Handicap when he rode Mondial Express to
victory for Tamworth trainer Craig Martin, before he won the Narrabri Cup in race five.
The sixth and final race of the day was the 1930-metre Narrabri Jockey Club Benchmark 50 Handicap, which For Da Boys won for Coonabarabran trainer Wayne Martin.
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