SWAN Hill’s comeback cup carnival had only one regret across the three days, and everybody loved it – as Peter Chow’s five-year-old mare Paul’s Regret took out the $175,000 bet365 Swan Hill Cup on Sunday.
And the $96,250 share of the prize money took its career earnings through the half million dollar barrier to $535,850.
With 300m to run in the 1600m highlight of the local racing scene, just about every horse on the track had a shot at glory.
Star Swan Hill jockey and country cups specialist Harry Coffey had given $2.70 favourite Proconsent every chance with a flawless ride, but when the chips were down, the six-year-old Lindsey Smith trained gelding got fried, finishing third and almost two lengths adrift.
The real drama came as 2021 cup winner Adelaide Ace, another one from the Smith stable, exploded from the ruck to get within a long neck of going back-to-back.
And it all unfolded in front of a huge crowd in which very few cared who won, they were just delighted to be able to watch it all after two years of Covid collateral damage and crippling lockdowns.
For Warrnambool-based Chow, a dairy farmer who took up training in his limited spare time, the win was the biggest of his career and post-race he seemed a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.
“It’s just great for the horse, she’s always super consistent but runs into a lot of bad luck and trouble and today I said to Jarrod (jockey Jarrod Fry) all I want you to do is make sure she has a clean run through, and he rode her a treat,” Chow said.
“We’ve always had great faith in this horse, so you always go to the races thinking she is going to run so well, but you just need that bit of luck, as I said, but yes, she is going really well.
“She has been a great horse, but she’s a bitch, really, to tell you the truth. She can be a bit of a handful sometimes; and likes to try and bite people and that sort of stuff, but she is still a great horse to have around.
“This is probably the best win I have had, the Swan Hill Cup, you can’t complain about that, can you?”
For Fry the cup would prove the icing on the cake – he finished equal top jockey for the carnival with three wins, sharing with apprentice Alana Kelly who rode three on Sunday.
And the decision by Irish jockey John Allen to leave Australia later this week for an extended trip home, has all but handed Fry the country jockey’s championship. After Sunday’s racing they were both on 92 winners, well ahead of Jordan Childs on 79 and Harry Coffey on 76. With just seven weeks to the end of the season.
“It worked out really well,” Fry said (we’re back on the cup now).
“Obviously we had to follow Harry (Coffey) on a really good chance, and it just took us everywhere we needed to go.
“And when I peeled off his back late I was pretty confident.
“She’s only had the one run at the mile before this, so I was a bit more mindful of that, so as not to let her rip a little too early. But she was simply too good in the end.
“It’s always really good to win a country cup, and I learnt all my skills out in these areas. Areas like this one is where you learn your trade.”
At the other end of the racing scale, the $40,000 Swan Hill Hire Drought Breaker over 1600m saw a total of 399 race starts by the 14 horses – with zero wins.
In 2022 the honours went to Tatura trainer Belinda Dunn and her horse Vittorina, winning by almost a length and leaving maidens behind after 25 starts.
