Garry McCarney missed out on back-to-back wins at the $50,000 1600m Mudgee Cup after last years shock winner Fox Solid was scratched from the race on Friday.
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Former Kiwi trainer Bjorn Baker is never afraid to travel his horses to where he thinks they can win, and it paid off again, winning double at Mudgee, including the Mudgee Cup with Burning Energy.
The Warwick Farm-based horseman has been a regular visitor to central west tracks in recent seasons and claimed his first feature when the four-year-old staved off a wall of challengers down the long stretches of the Mudgee home straight.
From the outside barrier in the 11-horse field, jockey Chad Lever elected to push forward on Burning Energy ($5.00 eq fav).
Despite sitting wide early, Lever eventually found the front and from that point the Bernadini (USA) x Anne Carina (NZ) gelding was able to settle into a rhythm.
Meanwhile the other major players in the market – Exemption ($5.00 eq fav, Rachael Murray), Can I Have ($6.00, Aaron Bullock) and Are You Sure ($9.00, Jay Ford) were all midfield or worse and strung up on the fence.
Rounding the turn, Burning Energy burst away from co-leader Any Blinkin’ Day before Can I Have emerged down the outside.
But neither runner looked likely to run down Burning Energy, which had a length to spare from Can I Have on the line, with Exemption a further length away in third.
Local hope Are You Sure ran on well from back in the field to be a close-up fourth.
Earlier, Baker produced the well-bred Prince Of Thebes ($1.60 fav) to win the opening event, a maiden plate over the 1500m journey, by five lengths.
Prince Of Thebes was an $85,000 yearling purchase at last year’s Magic Millions Yearling Sale, and is part-owned by Dubbo’s Tim Hughes and his wife Jackie.
The gelding was having his second start after finishing runner-up to the promising Schedule at Orange on debut, and he should continue as he progresses through the grades and gets up in distance.
Smart three-year old Winning Rupert took the first step to earning a $500,000 bonus with course record breaking return to racing.
Winning Rupert ($1.50) jumped straight to the lead and gave nothing else a chance beating Crack Me Up ($11) by 5 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 QTIS Three Year old (1200m). He clocked 1.9.42 which bettered the previous course record of 1.9.61.
Winning Rupert has now won all three of his starts, looking in great form. He can earn a $500,000 bonus for any horse which could win Saturday’s race and any two of the Gold Edition Plate, Vo Rogue Plate and Magic Millions Guineas.
