RACING: The first meeting of the 2014-15 Bunbury Turf Club season can be described as one thing – a bad day for the bookies.
Nine great races were run and won with a number of favourites getting the job done to keep the punters happy and the bookmakers hurting.
The feature race – the Busselton Cup over 2000 metres – offered plenty of excitement.
In damp conditions, the field of twelve jumped down the straight for the first time with The Ladies Choice searching for the early lead from barrier five.
Heading down the back straight jockey Natasha Faithfull hustled the Mark Bairstow trained gelding Amarna to a two length lead 800 metres from home.
Pre-race favourite This Cat Rocks, trained by Justin Warwick, was in the back half of the field at the jump but balanced up fourth on the turn.
Coming into the straight jockey Paul Harvey pulled the whip and This Cat Rocks ($4.70) took off to find the line with a two length margin.
Amarna clung on for second at the impressive place odds of $9.70 with Moet Dancer and hometown favourite Kyra Yuill flashing home late to finish third.
Steven Parnham aboard Malibu Style ($4.40) claimed a half-length win in race one before Bunbury jockey Glenn Smith broke the maiden status of Black Heart Bart ($1.70) and Jarrad Noske guided Miss Cyclonic ($1.50) to a run-away win in race three.
The first upset of the day came when Black Vega ($20) took out race four before Flytego ($4) flew home to claim victory in race five.
In-form jockey William Pike guided Ideal Image ($2.10) home in the first leg of the quaddie, although not before Hashtag flew home to finish second by a neck and gave favourite punters a fright.
Jarrad Noske completed the second leg of a riding double aboard Miss Chloetamash ($2.80) before apprentice jockey Emma Stent rounded out the day in race nine aboard the Peter and Matt Giadresco trained Our Brucie Bonus ($22.50)
Racing returns to the Bunbury Turf Club on November 4 for Melbourne Cup Day.
