WARRNAMBOOL trainer, Symon Wilde, added another country cup to his bulging resume, courtesy of a narrow win by Spare Coin in Friday’s $50,000 Coleraine Cup.
A patient ride by Paul Gatt enabled the five-year-old son of Rich Enuff to wear down race leader, Station One, eventually scoring by a neck over the brave runner-up.
In an even betting race, Spare Coin started surprisingly good odds at $7.50 despite contesting stronger races in the city this preparation.
A win at Sandown in July was followed by two unplaced efforts before bouncing back to land the cup.
Station One - trained by Liam Howley - showed he is ready to land another country cup with a tough second, with Flossing from the Trent Busittin and Natalie Young stable a further two lengths back in third place.
Cup favourite, Glitter ‘N’ Gold, which was trained by Lindsey Smith, never figured finishing a disappointing sixth.
Tayla Childs and Neil Farley took riding honours with doubles.
Childs teamed up with Cranbourne trainers, Tetyana Furdetska and Bevan Laming, to score on Vampire Miss and Mishare respectively, with Farley guiding home He’s Godspeed for Daniel Bowman and Lilidana for Charles Cassar.
Favourite punters hit the ground running with well supported gallopers, Male Model and Thinkhardandfast, winning the opening divisions of the Maiden.
John Thom-trained Male Model was ridden to victory by Jess Booth in the Southern Grampians Livestock & Real Estate Maiden Plate over 1400m as the $2.50 favourite.
The following race punters rallied strongly for Thinkhardandfast ($2.40f), who won the Paradoo Prime Maiden Plate over 1600m for Andrew Bobbin and Jack Hill.
Stawell trainer, Doug Whitworth, provided punters with more joy when his stayer, Last Raider, was an easy winner of the Patrick Sherlock 0-58 handicap.
The gelding was the best backed runner of the meeting, starting a $2.20 punter’s elect.
Settling well back in the field early, Jarrod Fry took off mid-race to quickly have the event in his keeping, eventually winning by 2.5 lengths.
Kaye Edward’s consistent mare Americain Miss ran another solid race to finish second.
Coleraine Cup Results
Race 1 Southern Grampians Livestock & Real Estate Maiden Plate 1400m - 1st Male Model (Jessica Booth/John Thom) $2.50f; 2nd Budjik Boy (Jack Hill/Paul Preusker) $8; 3rd Piglet (Jarrod Fry/Andrew Bobbin) $5.50.
Race 2 Paradoo Prime Maiden Plate 1600m - 1st Thinkhardandfast (Jack Hill/Andrew Bobbin) $2.40f; 2nd Kirimara (Mitchell Aitken/Thomas Sadler) $31; 3rd Knuckle (Tayla Childs/Maddie Raymond) $7.50.
Race 3 Vickery Bros BM64 Handicap 1300m - 1st He’s Godspeed (Neil Farley/Daniel Bowman) $12; 2nd Bello Bello (Jarrod Fry/Matthew Williams) $4.60f; 3rd Almighty Will (Mitchell Aitken/Vincent Malady) $21.
Race 4 Patrick Sherlock Plumbing 0 - 58 Handicap 2250m - 1st Last Raider (Jarrod Fry/Doug Whitworth) $2.20f; 2nd Americain Miss (Melissa Julius/Kaye Edwards) $11; 3rd Highland Glory (Neil Farley/Dan O’Sullivan) $4.40.
Race 5 Look Cabling Solutions 0 - 58 Handicap 1600m - 1st Vampire Miss (Tayla Childs/Tetyana Furdetska) $8.50; 2nd Dante’s Peak (Seamus Cronin/Carly Cook) $4.80f; 3rd Celtic Knot (Jack Hill/Paul Preusker) $5.
Race 6 Community Bank Coleraine 0 - 58 Handicap 1800m - 1st Lilidan (Neil Farley/Charles Cassar) $3.40; 2nd Border Visage (Jarrod Fry/Patrick Kearney) $2.80f; 3rd Chimed (Lester Grace/Symon Wilde) $16.
Race 7 Bet365 Coleraine Cup 1800m - 1st Spare Coin (Paul Gatt/Symon Wilde) $7.50; 2nd Station One (Danica Munro/Liam Howley) $5; 3rd Flossing (Neil Farley/Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young) $4.20.
Race 8 Ultrabuild Construction Group 0 - 58 Handicap 1300m - 1st Mishare (Tayla Childs/Bevan Laming) $8; 2nd Ler Her Rain (Jarrod Fry/Melody Cunningham) $9; 3rd Smokey Warrior (Jack Hill/Brady Cross) $3.20f.
