Successful return of Mallawa Races

BY BILL POULOUS

After a week of cold, dismal weather heralded the start of winter, the Gods switched on perfect conditions for the Mallawa picnic races.

A huge crowd arrived at the historic racetrack, 70km west of Moree, to watch five action-packed races, socialise with family, friends and complete strangers, and enjoy evening entertainment afterwards.

Club committee members were applauded for turning out the track in perfect order after nearly 40mm of rain fell in the district during the week.

“It’s been a great day, a big crowd, good racing and perfect weather,” club president Peter Taunton said.

Class prevailed in the two feature races, the 1400m B&W Rural-Titan Ag Mallawa Cup and 1000m RDO Equipment Mallawa Bracelet.

Inzaghi, ridden by reigning NSW picnic jockey Leandro Ribeiro, regained the form that won owner-trainer Connie Greig last year’s $50,000 Picnic Championship Final at Coonamble.

Inzaghi ($4.40) scored by three-parts of a length from Jane Clement’s Hardyo ($5), with Peter Sinclair’s recent Boolooroo Cup winner, Peak Road ($6), nearly six lengths away third.

The Mallawa Bracelet was won stylishly by classy sprinter Super Hot, trained at Quirindi by Geoff O’Brien.

Ridden by Zara Lewis, Super Hot ($1.80fav) charged clear halfway down the long Mallawa straight to score by five-and-three-quarter lengths from Belle O’Ballee ($2.20) and Dozen Kilpatrick ($2.80).

The other big winner at the meeting was Peter Sinclair’s A Bit Bazarre, owned by a syndicate headed up by Moree racecourse curator, John Brown.

A Bit Bazarre ($3.60), ridden by Arthur Pollock, charged home to win by the best part of 10 lengths from Gavin Groth’s Sunglare ($4.60) and Nicole Shields’ California Spell ($4.20).
Pollock continued his incredible start to the picnic circuit.

He debuted at Moree picnics last month and won the Boolooroo Cup at his third career ride, and collected two more winners at Mallawa on Saturday.

Pollock also won on Connie Greig’s Pahang in the 1200m AFF Telleraga class 3 handicap. He has now ridden three winners from seven career rides at Moree and Mallawa.