ALMOST 8000 racegoers braved the wild and windy weather to attend day one of the Darley Scone Cup Carnival on Friday afternoon.
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And, racing was strong with big names in the industry taking home wins.
Crowd favourite Gai Waterhouse captured the $200,000 2018 Darley Scone Cup honours, courtesy of Sedanzer, and said she was “thrilled” to be on-course for the win.
“I’m proud to say I’ve won the Scone Cup,” she admitted.
“I don’t think it was quite long enough the first time she [Sedanzer] ran.
“After Hawkesbury, we thought long and hard and we thought maybe the Scone Cup might just suit her.
“The tempo of the race was a bit muddling early, then it picked up after that and it really suited her and really pulled her into the race.”
Jockey Tim Clark missed his ride on Belle Of Portugal in the first because of traffic problems en route to Scone but he quickly made up for it with wins on Bare Naked Lady, Connemara and Sedanzer.
Bare Naked Lady easily took out the Inglis 2YO Challenge (1100m) for trainer Tracey Bartley and Connemara held on to triumph in the Widden Stud Class 1 Handicap (1100m) for Bjorn Baker.
Clark then took $4.60 favourite Sedanzer to a half-length win over defending champion Duca Valentinous in the Darley Scone Cup (1600m).
He said the four-year-old mare appreciated the extra room to move at Scone.
“She was, I thought, plain to say the least at Hawkesbury, but it was just a great effort from Gai and Adrian [Bott] to turn her around in the space of two weeks,” Clark said.
Kris Lees, Bjorn Baker and Chris Waller each snared victories.
Home-town trainer Rod Northam’s After All That ($2.70 favourite) was also a popular winner of the last, the Noel Leckie Country Cup.
Scone Race Club CEO Heath Courtney said he was thrilled with attendance – and the quality of racing.
“It was great to see so many racing lovers brave the breezy conditions,” he said.
“Our new-look food precinct was a hit and we look forward to Saturday’s Inglis Guineas and Dark Jewel Race Day.”
There is more than $1.4 million in prizemoney on offer tomorrow.
Meanwhile, trainer Peter Snowden is confident Moss Trip is set to thrive among emerging talent in Scone and rubber-stamp a Queensland winter carnival campaign.
Buoyed by the three-year-old's first stakes win in the Group Three J H B Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last month, the mentor expects another imposing performance in Saturday's $400,000 Inglis Guineas (1400m).
“She looks fantastic. She doesn't look like she wants a spell at all,” he said.
“After her win (in the Carr) I identified Scone straight away. This will determine whether she goes to Brisbane.
“I’m thinking ‘You’re only three once’ and some more black-type up there puts more residual value into her for later on.”
Snowden said 1350m assignments in the Group Three Fred Best Classic, Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes and Group One Tatt's Tiara were on the wish list for Moss Trip.
The Inglis Guineas will be the galloper’s sixth start this preparation though her runs have been spaced.
Moss Trip led the TAB market on Friday at $2.80 with Villermont, from Ciaron Maher's Caulfield stable, the $3.50 second elect.
Brenton Avdulla reunites with Moss Trip after Kerrin McEvoy was in the saddle for her last start.
“She’s definitely in good enough form and I don’t think it’s a strong race,” the jockey said.
Peter Snowden and son Paul, also saddle up Assimilate ($7) in the expectation the colt will bounce back from a flat ninth in the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on April 7.
“He was plain last start so he’s had a short break with this race in mind,” Snowden said.
General admission tickets are available at the gate for Saturday’s meeting from 11am ($20 per person, $10 for concession card holders), while limited tickets are still available for the XXXX and Inglis functions.
