Aaron Bullock’s amazing season continued at the weekend when he rode half of the eight-race program at Tamworth on Friday and followed that up with a double at Newcastle on Saturday. The half a dozen winners took his season tally to 157½, which places him second 7½ wins behind James Orman in the Australian Jockey’s Premiership. In the New South Wales Premiership, Bullock has a commanding lead of 43½ over his nearest rival James McDonald.
At Newcastle on Saturday, Bullock was successful on the Kris Lees trained Little Beginnings, and former Queensland mare Hot Sauce for Singleton trainer Luke Thomas.
Little Beginnings is a promising, lightly raced three-year-old in great form, and he looked the winner from the outset in the Seed People Consulting CG&E Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m). Bullock sent the gelding forward from his wide barrier and he had a lovely trail behind the speedy Lord Heron. The Novocastrian dashed away at the top of the straight and he went to the line full of running to win by 2¼ lengths. Little Beginnings led all the way to win at Gunnedah by just under three lengths at his previous start and improved his record to three wins and three seconds from eight career runs.
Bullock produced a rail hugging ride to win on Hot Sauce in the Independent Mobility & Rehab F&M Maiden Plate (1400m). She drew barrier one and never went around a horse. The mare travelled in fourth place behind the leaders before claiming the lead in the straight. The challengers would not go away, however Hot Sauce held on to win by .12 of a length. The winner was previously trained by Chris Munce when she was placed twice from six starts. Saturday was her third start for Thomas, who lives at Glendonbrook near Singleton and works his team at Muswellbrook.
Group 1 winning jockey Koby Jennings who recently moved to Cameron Park rode winners for two of Australia’s leading stables at the meeting. The Hawkes stable prepared Givara, the first of Jennings’ double in the Ocean & Lakes Trade Services Class 1 Handicap (1200m). Sporting the colours of one of Australia’s greatest horses of the past in Tulloch, Givara was taken back to last in the field of eight and he unleashed in the straight to gather in the leaders to win by ¾ length.
Jennings also teamed up with the Les Bridge stable in the Make Me Up F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap (1400m) where he was successful aboard Zip On By. The filly was very impressive as she was near last on the turn, and Jennings was held up at the “200”. When in the clear she sprinted quickly to put the issue beyond doubt. The daughter of Golden Slipper winner Sebring has won both starts this preparation.
The Paul Perry prepared Cantrell took his career prizemoney to $115,000 when successful in the Shane Wilson Painting Provincial Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m).