Jarred Hetherington-trained Moon Rainbow races to victory at Narrabri Showground

Narrabri Harness Racing Club hosted the first of its two April TAB meetings at Narrabri Showground on Sunday afternoon, where four local pacers ran home to podium finishes during the seven-race program.

Local trainer Jarred Hetherington celebrated a winner on his home track when four-year-old mare Moon Rainbow prevailed in race four, which was the Namoi Hotel & Bottleshop, Specialised Quarries & Concrete John Dean Memorial Prelude across 1760 metres.

Despite having never won a race in her previous five starts and coming into the meeting off a 15-month spell, Moon Rainbow was highly touted as the $2.90 favourite as she started from the second row wearing the number eight saddlecloth, driven by in-form Maitland reinsman Brad Elder who drove two winners in Newcastle on Friday night, just eight days after he had driven five winners in Tamworth on Thursday, March 23.

There was another Narrabri pacer in action in the race as the Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Sweet Sunshine started next to Moon Rainbow.

The local duo were sitting towards the back early on after settling behind the front row starters, but just 500 metres into proceedings, they took advantage as they went past the galloping Scotty-Jon Welsh-trained-and-driven Imsogood.

The Michael Finlay-trained, Blake Hughes-driven Goodtime Shady was in the lead at that stage and had been since the race began.

He was overtaken by Moon Rainbow when the bell sounded as Elder took the Hetherington-trained mare three wide around the bend and charged into the lead with one circuit left to run.

It was a lead that she would never relinquish as she entered the home straight comfortably in front and then held off late efforts from the Lloyd Sutton-trained, James Sutton-driven Bradness Johnny and Ian Mabbott-trained, Anthony Varga-driven Our Sweet Royal, which made late charges at the line but were forced to settle for second and third, respectively, as they were never any match.

Sweet Sunshine eventually ran home eighth for the Shepherdsons.

Moon Rainbow’s win was her first in six starts in her first race following the long spell.

She joined the Hetherington stable in December 2021, having raced four times previously, and she finished ninth in Tamworth on December 30 that year before finally returning to action on Sunday.

The $3672 in prizemoney she earned for winning the Narrabri race was more than she had accumulated in her first five races combined.

The local trainer was thrilled with the win and he commended Elder’s drive.

“It’s always good to get a win here at home and we look forward to racing here because we only get to do it twice a year,” Hetherington said.

“To be able to race here is good, and it’s two days of the year we don’t have to travel home, which is nice.

“Credit to the committee too. They had the grounds looking tremendous and it was a good day of racing.

“There was a lot of talk that [Moon Rainbow] was first up for that long (15 months), but we knew what we had.

“She will drive a lot better for having that run now, and she’ll go round in the John Dean Memorial on Monday.

“Brad drove her very well and he drove confidently.

“He got into a beautiful position and he wasn’t happy with the speed so he took off around them to find the front.

“He summed it up well. The speed really backed off and Brad said we’re not going to sit around, we’re going to make our own luck.

“It makes life a lot easier when someone of the calibre of Brad Elder is prepared to travel from Newcastle to Narrabri to drive your horses.

“It puts you that much further in front and you already know that he’s got confidence in you.”

Earlier in the day, Hetherington had almost claimed another winner but Sahara Jewel was forced to settle for second in the third race of the local meeting.

She was driven by Elder in the 1760-metre Daisy Water Carrier, Watson Kitchen Pace as they started behind pole position from the second row.

The Tom Ison-trained-and-driven pole position $1.50 favourite Country Major won that race as the gelding edged out the Hetherington-trained mare by a head.

There were 10 horses in action in that race, including the Hetherington-trained Night Lights, which was driven by Andrew Bourke to fifth, the Garry Shepherdson-trained Flirts Diva, driven by Chris Shepherdson to ninth, and the Hetherington-trained Mako Jewel, driven by James Sutton to 10th.

Another Hetherington-trained pacer raced to a minor placing when Somethingaboutlexy lined up in race five and ran home third in the 2160-metre J & H Windscreen, Tyrerite Narrabri Santos Cup Heat One.

The five-year-old mare started from the number four barrier and was driven by Anthony Varga, while her stablemate Miss Maravu also lined up in that race with Elder in the driver’s seat.

The two Narrabri mares found themselves towards the back of the pack early in the race, and with one lap left to run as the bell sounded, Somethingaboutlexy was second last and only led Miss Maravu.

Varga took Somethingaboutlexy out widest as they turned for home into the final straight and she charged home with blistering pace to place third, juts 10 metres behind the Neil Kliendienst-trained, Sam Ison-driven winner Rolamax.

Miss Maravu ran home sixth, and the Garry Shepherdson-trained, Chris Shepherdson-driven Montana Nights finished at the back of the pack in eighth after she started well and was running second early in the race.

“Sahara Jewel did her thing and was a bit unlucky,” Hetherington said.

“She just had a bit of trouble on straightening for home and that took a fair bit of momentum off her and she had to get going again.

“If that doesn’t happen she wins, but I’m happy with the result for her to run second.

“Somethingaboutlexy really put the writing on the wall.

“The way she came home in her race was very staunch.

“We’ll play with her a little bit this week and she’ll definitely be right to go on Monday for the final.

“I was pretty disappointed that Miss Maravu galloped.

“She gave them a mile of ground and caught them up and only got beat by 20 metres.

“If she didn’t gallop she wins that race.”

The Shepherdson duo’s fortunes turned in the seventh and final race of the day when Chris drove Arma Rolling Stone to a third-place finish for Garry in the 1760-metre Loga & Co Furniture and Bedding, Logan Funerals & Bi-Rite Electrical Pace.

That was won by the Richard March-trained $2.20 favourite Arnold Steet as Elder drove his second winner of the day.

The first race on the program was the 1760-metre Download The Tab App Today Pace, which was won by the Scotty-Jon Welsh-trained-and-driven Stilton.

Stilton started behind pole position on the second row in that race and ran home two-and-a-half metres in front of the Andrew Ison-trained, Tom Ison-driven $1.65 favourite Im Freyja.

Elder drove Hetherington-trained Ease Up Moby to sixth out of eight in that race.

The second race of the day was the 1760-metre CGJ Glass & Aluminium, CL Dickinson Auto Electrics Pace, which was the only race on the event’s program that did not feature a local horse.

It was won by the Anthony Missen-trained $1.45 favourite Getonbettor, which was driven by Blake Hughes to a six-metre victory.

Race six, which was the 2160-metre Tapscott Service Station, C & D Electronics Santos Cup Heat Two, was won by the Tom Ison-trained-and-driven Out Aunty Ash.

Elder drove the Hetherington-trained Sammi Dance to sixth out of seven in that race.

Narrabri Harness Racing Club now looks forward to its TAB Carnival Of Cups feature meeting, which will be held on Easter Monday.

It will be headlined by the Narrabri Cup, the Santos Cup final and the John Dean Memorial.