By COLIN HODGES When a horse arrived at the Sharon Jeffries stable at Parkes last year, she was intrigued to learn it had been contesting official barrier trials for Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker under the name Phils Colours. In a strange coincidence, Sharon Jeffries for several years before then, had trained numerous winners for Phil Easman from Parkes and when he died, in his Will, he left his racing colours to Sharon Jeffries. Carrying those black and white striped jacket, red sleeves and red cap colours, Phils Colours won the 1400 metres Maiden Plate on Saturday at Grenfell. Now owned by Lorraine McPhee from Forbes and partners, Phils Colours ($2.50) was ridden by the highly promising apprentice Jacob Stiff for Sharon Jeffries and led throughout to beat the Victorian trained Matter Most (Cory Parish, $4) and Impending Harmony (Shayleigh Ingelse, $2.30 equal favourite). Jacob Stiff (18) only started race riding in late August and already has three winners including a Grenfell double for Sharon Jeffries on Obsessive Nature and Phils Colours. Obsessive Nature was scratched from the $50,000 Picnic Championship Final at Dubbo on Sunday when looking doubtful of getting a run as an Emergency and instead went to Grenfell on Saturday and very well ridden by Jacob Stiff won the $12,000 Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000 metres) as the $2.20 favourite. Bathurst jockey Ashleigh Stanley is riding very well and in the feature race the 1400 metres Loaded Dog-Benchmark 58 Handicap she crossed quickly from a wide barrier to lead on the Maree Hopkins trained Mystic Flame ($3.80) which won by over a length from Kiss The Outcast (Shayleigh Ingelse, $3.60) and Lockadente (Richard Bensley, $5). A winner and placegetter during August and September in New Zealand, the 5 year old gelding San Marco arrived in Australia less than a fortnight ago and on Saturday won the 1670 metres Cultiv8Financials Grenfell Cup. Formerly from New Zealand, jockey Cory Parish won the 2018 Caulfield Cup on Boom Time and at Grenfell he rode San Marco ($1.30 favourite) for Wangaratta (VIC) trainer Andrew Dale to beat stablemate Parabellum (Richard Bensley, $2.10) by just over a length. The only horse in the stables of Cooma trainer Clare Mansell is the recent $600 on line purchase Our Lady Rockstar (Carly Frater, $3) which came from last to win the 1000 metres Maiden Handicap while the John Rolfe, Canberra trained A Book Of Days ((Carly Frater, $2.50) finished fast for a photo finish win in the 1200 metres Class 2 Handicap. Grenfell is renowned for the outstanding treatment of owners, trainers and jockeys and prominent trainers from Wangaratta and Seymour in Victoria returned again for the 2025 meeting. Racing at Dubbo on Friday, Mudgee (Saturday) and Mungery Picnics on Sunday.
