In a dramatic finish, Tumut trained Tea Clipper from the stables of Kerry Weir, lasted to win the $25,000 Bankstown Sports Club Forbes Cup (1600m) yesterday by half a head.
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From amongst the tail-enders, Tea Clipper ($19.90) took the lead in the straight, then held off the fast finish of Sooner or Later ($1.40) which had been shuffled back in the last home turn.
Achieving perhaps one of her biggest successes to date was apprentice jockey Megan Taylor.
Greg Ryan who has ridden over 3000 winners was on runner up Sooner or Later, with Steakandbearnaise ($1.90), ridden by Mathew Cahill, finishing fast for third. Both Ryan and Cahill had ridden winners earlier in the day.
History was made yesterday too by Ryan who, after a win in the first race, became the Australian jockey with the second most wins, a title he shares with the late Jack Thompson.
With still one more race to go yesterday, Ryan had ridden 3,331 winners and was looking for another in the last race of the day.
Conditions yesterday were bitterly cold, but the weather did not deter a large crowd at the Forbes Racecourse. Some 200 members of the Bankstown Sports Club made up a large contingent of the racegoers, with the club celebrating a 20 year partnership with the Forbes Jockey Club.
President of the Forbes Jockey Club John Rennick said the only thing that could be faulted yesterday was the temperature.
"Except for the weather, everything has been wonderful,” he said.
“We’re very very pleased with the amount of horses that took place and the crowd was very good for the conditions.”