Racing returns to Narrabri as Gerety claims the Cup

It was a memorable day of racing at the Narrabri Racecourse on Saturday as five races took place at the Narrabri Jockey Club’s 2026 raceday.

The 1200-metre Qube Agri Narrabri Cup was the fourth race of the day, which was won by the Olivia Dalton-ridden Gerety for Inverell trainer Ridge Wilson after the five-year-old chestnut mare led from start to finish.

There were only five horses in action in the raceday’s feature event, and Gerety jumped out the quickest of them in the yellow colours from barrier two to establish an early advantage, with the Gavin Groth-trained, Leanne Boyd-ridden Powerstone next best on the inside after starting from barrier one.

Gerety led all the way into the home turn as Powerstone still sat in second with 300 metres left to run, and while the Jane Clement-trained, Gabrielle Johnston-ridden Sidenay charged past Powerstone into second place down the straight, there was no chance of getting past Gerety as Dalton drove the champion mare to the Narrabri Cup victory.

Gerety’s 3.56-length victory was the largest winning margin by any horse across the event’s five races.

The triumph was her second on the trot after she won at Gunnedah earlier in the month, and was her fifth overall in 40 starts to go with eight second-place finishes and six third-place finishes at an almost 50 per cent place rate.

Dalton then made it a memorable Narrabri raceday double as she rode the Kieren Hazelton-trained Beg Me to victory in the fifth and final race of the day, which was the 1930-metre Max Oran Toyota benchmark 50 handicap event.

Earlier in the day, the Joel Wilkes-trained Maxikolo took out the first race as Johnston drove the seven-year-old gelding to victory in the 1000-metre Inland Rail maiden plate.

That victory was Maxikolo’s first in his 10th start as he edged out the Nikki Pollock-trained, Billy Cray-ridden Fuel The Jet by less than a length in an exciting finish.

Race two was a memorable one as 22-year-old apprentice Angel Brennan recorded her first win as a jockey when she rode the Troy O’Neile-trained Steel Claws to victory in the 1200-metre B & W Rural class one handicap.

Steel Claws and Ray Hartley-trained, Johnston-ridden Point To Prove charged into the home straight well clear of the other four horses in the race, and it was the five-year-old gelding that got the job done as Brennan rode him home to his second win in his 18th start.

The third race of the day was the Schwager Concrete and Civil Wee Waa Cup 1500-metre benchmark 58 handicap, which was taken out by Toulon Factor for Mendooran trainer Jane Clement as Gabrielle Johnston rode her second winner of the day after she had claimed the first and narrowly missing out on the second.

There were six horses in action in the Wee Waa Cup, and it was the Gavin Groth-trained, Billy Cray-ridden Pop Quiz out of barrier one that jumped quickest before he was swiftly overtaken by half the field as Toulon Factor got in front.

Toulon Factor led for the rest of the way as he kicked away from the Sally Torrens-trained, Leanne Boyd-ridden Magic Sorcerer and the Kieren Hazelton-trained, Olivia Dalton-ridden Cooma Hut down the home straight after they entered it as the three clear frontrunners.