Gunsynd Park turned on one of the better winter race days on Saturday when the Inglewood Cup was the feature qualifier for the Battle of the Bush Series.
On a perfect day, the Club welcomed an enormous number of visitors to the complex all enjoying the facilities and avoiding the cold weather.
“Considering what was on in the town, it was an excellent roll up,” Club President Cutter Hayes explained.
On the racing side, it was a salute to the ladies with female jockeys winning all five races which is not uncommon at Gunsynd Park.
Racing commenced with the Goondiwindi Retailers 1400-metre Class B and regular supporter Jackie Crompton continued on her wining way with Foxy Rose making it two from two for her new trainer.
It was to be the first leg of a winning double for Hannah Richardson.
The QTIS maiden was the Combined Hoteliers sponsored event and Miles trainer Andrew King and apprentice Olivia Webb combined when Verve was too good.
Verve put the writing on the wall at the Picnics with a good second behind stablemate and gave Andrew his second winner, both of them being at Gunsynd Park.
Race 3 was the feature, the Inglewood Cup sponsored by Jeff Hannaford Accountants of Millmerran, Inglewood & Texas.
Dave Reynolds, another strong supporter of Gunsynd Park had a strangle hold on the race with three runners including favourite Miss Bulitz.
But once again, the combination of Angela Jones and Dave Reynolds combined with Rather Salubrious to knock over the sensationally backed Oh Why and Miss Bulitz in third place.
The fourth once again saw Angela Jones and Dave Reynolds combine with River Span in the Goondiwindi Industrial Suppliers Benchmark 55.
Local hope Midnight Matinee gave a great sight but the big weight told in the end.
The final event of the day was the 1800-metre Battlers Cup, where the field jumped in front of the crowd and completed two laps of the track.
Craiglea Arion came all the way from the Sunshine Coast and was the dominant favourite.
It looked like it had thrown the race away after running off on the home turn but in the end staved off a protest from Resonaire who had raced outside the winner all of the way.
And so, another great day for the Goondiwindi Race Club as they prepare for the Boggabilla Cup on July 31.
That will be quickly followed by Talwood Cup on August 14.
Racing is on areal high at Gunsynd Park and the amnesties area credit to the hard-working committee that have made it that way.
It is racing at its best in the west at Gunsynd Park.
