Had Wednesday's Federal Handicap been run 15 minutes later in the day, Matthew Dale's mare Meg may well have started an odds-on favourite.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As it turned out she jumped the $3.60 top pick and just held out Nick Olive's Exotic Deel, grabbing her fourth career win and the first at her new home track since moving over from New Zealand earlier this year.
Just 10 minutes later, Godolphin gelding Bacchanalia finished best to claim the Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m), handing jockey Chad Schofield his first win at stakes level since returning to Australia from Hong Kong.
Meg raced against Bacchanalia earlier this month when resuming over 1100m on a soft track at Randwick, beaten eight lengths over the unsuitable trip.
She settled at the rear at Thoroughbred Park on Wednesday, but swung to the outside under in-form apprentice Amy McLucas who kicked home her third winner for the day with Meg finishing a long neck clear of Exotic Deel.
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
The well-backed Bacchanalia saluted by a near identical margin in the $150,000 Guineas at Gosford, overcoming the brave Authentic Jewel and a fast-finishing King Of Sparta who was superb despite the soft track.
"I was very happy with my position and the way my horse was traveling, then all of a sudden Hugh Bowman's horse [Broken Hill] dropped the bridle and the leader [Authentic Jewel] skipped," Schofield told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"I had to pop out and get on my bike. I was always confident in catching the other horse but it did kick well."
Meanwhile, cult WA jockey William Pike will miss Saturday's Perth Cup meeting at Ascot after the West Australian government announced all racegoers must be double vaccinated if they are to attend the meeting.
It is understood Pike, who has spent years at the top of the Perth jockey ranks, remains unvaccinated from COVID-19.
He was due to ride Perth Cup favourite Midnight Blue.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
