OUT IN FRONT: General Hirad streaks ahead of Poker Pro to win Saturday’s Hotel Canobolas Orange Picnic Cup. Photo: JEFF DEATH
GENERAL Hirad, the 2012 Narromine Gold Cup winner, returned to form and won the Canobolas Hotel Orange Picnic Cup over 1300 metres on Saturday for Forbes trainer Frank Hayes.
Sent for a spell after the Narromine win in August, Gerald Hirad had three unplaced runs before the Orange assignment with Forbes based amateur jockey Stuart Brown in the saddle on this occasion.
Brown settled General Hirad - the $3 favourite - midfield before coming with a well-timed run to sweep past pacemaker Poker Pro ($10, Ricky Blewitt) and win by a length-and-a-half.
A strong finishing third was Soswarj, ridden by Blake Ryan and starting at $15.
Stuart Brown also combined with another Forbes trainer Bill Hayes to win the Class B Handicap (1000m) with Free Giggles.
Free Giggles ($3.80) had a perfect run behind the leader Zadaggio then raced away to score by more than two lengths from $3.20 favourite Zederged (Daniel Noll) and Miszinfandel ($4, Aaron Sweeney).
Frank Hayes is the brother of Cup winning trainer Frank Hayes.
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ORANGE trainer Sylvia Szabo achieved her career first winning double when Spin The Globe and Steve’s Gold saluted on her home track.
From the back of the field Spin The Globe ($5, Alan Barton) finished best to account for Carefree ($13, Aaron Sweeney) and Yelard ($8, Stuart Brown) in the Maiden Plate (1280m).
Grey gelding Steve’s Gold ($15, Ashley Boyd) was suited by the frantic pace set by the leading pack and from well back won the WIN Television Class B Handicap (1600m) in an exciting finish from Princess Johanne ($3.20, Aaron Sweeney) and Annie Are You Okay ($5, Blake Ryan).
The winning margin was a half head for Steve’s Gold, which won at last year’s Orange picnics.
Ashley Boyd, the pilot on Steve’s Gold, had earlier won the Maiden Plate (1000m) on Andromeda for Cootamundra trainer Tricia Anderson.
With the lead from the outset, Andromeda ($1.80 fav) held on to beat Star of Kelso ($7, Paddy Kelly) with Before Midnight ($4, Tim Phillips) a distant third.
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PLACED on the market an hour before the Class B Handicap - Boree Bracelet (1280m) five-year-old gelding Feng Shui was sold after a runaway win.
From the Clint Lundholm stable at Dubbo, Feng Shui had finished a good fourth in a big field at the Coonamble TAB meeting last Saturday.
At Orange, Feng Shui ($2 fav, Alan Barton) was not threatened when winning by more than four lengths from Corporate Magician ($5, Aaron Sweeney) and Remraam ($3.50, Tim Phillips).
Alan Barton, who moved from Newcastle to Gulgong last year, had a winning double on Spin The Globe and Feng Shui.