WINNER: Midnight Flash photo finish from last week in Dubbo INSET: Maree Smith with grandson Charlie earlier this season. Midnight Flash’s win has made for a great recent run of form for the Smith family.
Raymond Smith trained Midnight Flash has taken out the Ladbrokes Country Challenge final in 29.73 at Dubbo last week. The $15 outsider won by three quarters of a length from Peter Sims trained duo of She’s a Pearl ($3.10) and She’s Salacious ($2.70) to take the $5000 prize money.
It continues an impressive streak for Smith who has some form dogs at the moment and seems to be winning races at will. The win by Midnight Flash was the Fernando Bale x Midnight Elsa black bitch’s second win in the last three starts. The two recent victories were split by a gallant second placing at Dubbo on September 18 after the stirring win in Temora earlier in September.
One of Smith’s other chargers Miss Ezmae claimed second in Race 7 continuing solid form over the winter.
The twilight meeting also held victory for another Forbes trainer – Errol Hughes who earlier saw his runner Blackfoot Angel fin-ish third behind Bruce Mick Glen in Race 8 in the Ladbrokes Split Multi 5th Grade over 516m.
Hughes also had Magic Fury take second in Race 10 over 400m in 23.45 behind Brown’s Boy in a great duel. Magic Fury showed plenty of courage and can only improve after the strong showing for Errol.
In the last, the Hughes-trained Meeka’s Angel, also a daughter of Brad Hill Billy, darted away after a burst out of box four that saw a sectional of 9.03! Meeka’s Angel was flying and looked good in the 400m race despite strong showings from Western Hero and Swift Kevin.
She passed the post with a half-length to spare in 23.21 paying $19 for the win, her ninth in 49 starts and not the last if this result means anything.