Success for local trainers as Corn Cob wins three in a row on Melbourne Cup race day

It was a stunning WA triumph at the Melbourne Cup as local jockey Mark Zahra stormed home to victory on outsider Gold Trip to claim his first Cup win. Leading up to the race all eyes were on Deauville Legend the odds-on favourite ridden by three-time champion Kerrin McEvoy with odds as short as $3.50 and was leading at the 1000m mark as the horses kicked on for the final straight. But he was swarmed at the last as he lacked the power in the run-up to the finish as High Emocean, Emissary and Gold Trip all went past to leave him with fourth. It was a barnstorming performance from Gold Trip backing up a second place in the Caulfield Cup in an expertly executed ride from Zahra, who completes redemption after missing out last year. He was due to ride Verry Elleegant before his attendance at a house party in breach of COVID restrictions at the time saw him banned, forcing him to sit at home and watch it take out the cup. “I just feel like crying, it’s unbelievable, what a day,” Zahra said. “Redemption day today, just a miracle.” There was plenty of action closer to home as seven races took place across the afternoon at Geraldton Turf Club, following the main event with plenty of success for local trainers, particularly for Gordon Spowart’s cavalry who came on with a hattrick of wins. But race one was all about Corn Cob, the four-year-old gelding was looking for three wins on the trot but was pushed all the way by Kick A Goal Son, but came home by a nose just 0.06 lengths in front. It now makes it nine wins from 18 starts for Julia Martin’s charger who loves the Tuf Club will all nine wins coming at the track. There was an upset in race two as Sure No Something stunned the heavily backed Squillow and Holy Spy by 0.33 lengths in what was the first win of its fledging career in a boon for local trainer Ron Cowl Jr. The first Spowart win came in race three as Edmond the second favourite beat about the first favourite Bold Street by 0.14 lengths, finally breaking through for its third victory after a run of six straight placings. Race four also saw an outsider Graeme Hammarquist’s Uni Queen who had odds of over $15 coming into the race upstage Johnny Angel in a close race that saw the top five separated by under 2.5 lengths. The biggest race of the day was next for the Midwest Fire and Safety handicap as The Singing Tiger won it by a hair as Peter Knuckey led the six-year-old to victory by the barest of margins 0.01 lengths. Janet Spowart was relieved to take home the win. “I wasn’t expecting it to be a photo finish, in fact, I thought we had been pipped on the line,” she said. “He was huge run last start but got held up, so am very pleased with the win today.” “We’ve had two from two so far and looking forward to going three from three.” They did just that as Sans Le Sou smashed the field in the final race of the day coming home more than four lengths in front in what was the least competitive race of the day. It also meant back-to-back wins for jockey Natasha Faithfull who led Kazkazi to victory in race six, just over half a length ahead of Grace Du Roi and Arabian Riches in a hotly contested field with all three horses having odds of under $2. It was the only victory for a trainer from outside the Greater Geraldton area with Karnup-based Jordan Rolfe denying a local horse sweep.