With Greg Ryan in the saddle and a history of success at Bathurst’s Tyers Park, Bjorn Baker’s Tony’s Reward was largely considered a special to claim Monday’s Harvest Benchmark 58 Handicap (1408 metres) on Monday afternoon.
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But, after starting as a $3.10 favourite having never finished worse than second at the track, the four-year-old gelding was pipped at the post by a 10-to-one outsider.
Considering he hadn’t won since midway through 2017 and hadn’t run a place since January, Elle A Walking wasn’t considered much more than a chance for the minors in the afternoon’s second, even though he was dropping in class after a somewhat encouraging run to fifth at Goulburn last-start.
With Andrew Banks in the saddle he defied the odds though, producing a pulsating run with 60.5kg on his back.
After spending the early sections of the $22,000 race one or two wide Brown’s gelding slipped onto the rails at the top of the final turn, he sat fourth at that stage, about three lengths shy of leader Kormaddie ($7.50).
The inside stayed clear for Elle A Walking too as Kormaddie fell from the pace, which was taken up by Tony’s Reward with 200 to go.
Banks and Elle A Walking found another effort though, surging past Baker’s charge in the final 100 metres to win by less than half a length.
Bathurst’s Dean Mirfin picked up third with Winterconi ($3.50), backing up his victory with Alcatran in the first.
The victory, the gelding’s fifth career win, ended that 14-month drought and was actually his third at the Tyers Park track, continuing his own history of success at Bathurst.
The last of those wins at the track was in the 2017 Soldier’s Saddle.
““It was a tough run. He had 60 and a half, so that’s a bit of weight to carry. He really seems to like this track. He’s ran some good races here,” Warwick Farm’s Brown said.
“He’s very handy. He’s won almost half a dozen races now [and has run] a few placings in his career (too).”
Elle A Walking’s filled the minor slots nine times in fact, and has actually won more than $100,000 in prizemoney as a result.
The ride was Banks’ second of five at Bathurst’s country TAB meeting, at time of publication it was his only win or placing.
He’d ridden Matthew Smith’s Legit to fifth in the first before being resigned to 12th on Seishin in the fourth, he then finished ninth on Bryan Dixon’s Starlight Treaty in the fifth.
He was also listed to steer Dixon’s Zaha Country in the sixth and penultimate race of the afternoon.