A new member graced our courts on Tuesday. We welcome Geoff Coles to our club, a seasoned golfer who has never played croquet before. He won his first game. Most golfers find croquet very easy to adapt to. The winners of their three games were; John Browne, Evelyn Mahlo, Kevin Rubie, Bill Scott and Alex Todd. Welcome back everybody.

Saturdays Aussie Croquet had 24 players. There were only three players who won their three games today. John Cole, Elvy Quirk and Kevin Rubie, congratulations to you all. The closest game of the day was between Neville Spry and John MacCullagh, who defeated Merv Langfield and Anne Stewart 14-13.

The Croquet Club Christmas dinner will be held at the Vandenberg Hotel at 12 o’clock Tuesday 18 th December. We hope everyone can attend.

Saturday 22 nd December will be the last play for the year. The courts will re-open on Tuesday 8 th January. The starting time will move to 8:30am for the summer. Please arrive at 8:15 to ensure an on time start.

Results December 11

Dorelle Scott 7 def Lyn Simmonds 6; Kevin Rubie, Alec Todd 8, def Barry White, Jeff Liebich 5; Elvy Quirk, Evelyn Mahlo 8, def John Cole, Marie Spry 5; Geoff Coles, Tony Thomson 8, def Jill Rubie, Ruth Cheney 5; Bill Scott, Colleen Liebich 7, def Lorraine Todd, Joan Littlejohn 6 Libby Smart, Jane Hanbury 7, def Mary Hodges, Neville Spry 6; John H. Browne, Veva MacCullagh 10, def Lorna Field, John MacCullagh 3; John Cole, Joan Littlejohn 9, def colleen Liebich, Elvy Quirk 4; Lorraine Todd, Alec Todd 7, def Lyn Simmonds 6

John H. Browne, Doreen Whitworth 8, def Tony Thomson, Jill Rubie 5; Neville Spry, Marie Spry 7, def Mary Hodges, Dorelle Scott 6; Robin Pols, Bill Scott 8, def Geoff Coles, Barry White 5; Evelyn Mahlo, Lorna Field 7, def Ruth Cheney, John MacCullagh 6; Kevin Rubie, Geoff Liebich 9, def Libby Smart, Jane Hanbury 4; Lyn Simmonds, John H. Browne 7, def Joan Littlejohn, John Cole 6; Colleen Liebich, Harley Stewart 7, def Doreen Whitworth, Neville Spry 6; Jill Rubie, Lorna Field 7, def Jeff Liebich, Mary Hodges 6

Elvy Quirk, John MacCullagh 8, def Jane Hanbury, Geoff Coles 5; Dorelle Scott, Tony Thomson 9, def Robin Pols, Marie Spry 4; Evelyn Mahlo, Bill Scott 8, def Ruth Cheney, Barry White 5; Kevin Rubie, Alec Todd 9, def Libby Smart, Lorraine Todd 4

Results December 15

Elvy Quirk, Harley Stewart 14, def Kathleen Broderick, Cherylin Cole 9; John Allegri, Jill Rubie 14, def Joan Littlejohn, Lyn Simmonds 10; Alec Todd, John Cole 14, def Libby Smart, Colleen Liebich 11; Jeff Liebich, Bill Scott 14, def Dorelle Scott, Tony Thomson 3; Barry White, Jill Rubie 14, def John H Browne, Lorraine Todd 12; Neville Spry, John MacCullagh 14, def Merv Langfield, Anne Stewart 13

Dorelle Scott, Lyn Simmonds 14, def Alec Todd, Neville Spry 9; Jeff Liebich, Jill Rubie 14, def John Allegri, Kathleen Broderick 7; Kevin Rubie, Joan Littlejohn 14, def Colleen Liebich, Cherylin Cole 10; Bill Scott, John Cole 14, def Harley Stewart, Tony Thomson 11; Elvy Quirk, Merv Langfield 14, def John MacCullagh, Lorraine Todd 13; John H. Browne, Lyn Simmonds 14, def Barry White, Anne Stewart 13

Anne Stewart, Kevin Rubie 14, def Lorraine Todd, Jill Rubie 10; Colleen Liebich, Cherylin Cole 14, def John MacCullagh, Neville Spry 10; Barry White, Alec Todd 14, def Lyn Simmonds, John Allegri 12; John H. Browne, Merv Langfield 14, def Bill Scott, Joan Littlejohn 12; Cherylin Cole, Lorraine Todd 14, def John MacCullagh, Neville Spry 13; Elvy Quirk, Libby Smart 14, def Jeff Liebich, Kathleen Broderick 12; Harley Stewart, John Cole 14, def Tony Thomson, Dorelle Scott 12.

Contributed by Smooth Swinger

The eighth round of the Forbes Golf Club Summer Sixers was characterised by a mix and match of conditions. Some players got around in sunny, hot conditions, while others dodged storms and short but intense rain events. But the scoring remained as good as ever. This week Team Forbes Toyota (Pool 2) used the course to their advantage on Sunday to record the best winning score of 97.5. Their opponents “The Avengers’ felt pretty comfortable on 102, but they got cut. Pool 1had a close ‘best effort’ with Bushrangers (99.5) just shaving Platypi Players by one shot. In Pool 3 it was Postie

Top Six (100) who edged out Kool Kats (101.5). The best Members players overall were Jono Roylance and Margaret Bentick (both 31) and Bede Tooth (31.5). The best Non-members scores were Kevin Vale (31), Alex Doyle (32) and Ash Hogan (32). A bunch of new names there.

The ball winners were: Pool 1 – A Hogan, E Ridley, J Stewart, A King, J Smith, I Bown, T Mallick, J Ridley. Pool 2 – J Roylance, B Tooth, A Baker, A Doyle, D Earl, B Turner, S Shine, J Cutler. Pool 3 – M Bentick, K Vale, M Browne, P Jones, E Coombs, B Hodges, B Dickens, E Goddens.

Both Forbes Toyota and Bushrangers had their three best scores in the top eight for their pools.

At the end of the first part of the competition, how do the Pool Ladders stand? Let us have a look. In Pool 1, Hit n Miss have maintained their lead over Still Trying, and both have edged further ahead of Grant Howell Auto Electrical.

Pool 2 is dominated by Forbes Toyota, with Hot to Pop and Shooter McGavins sharing second place. Pool 3 saw that ‘Just for Fun’ has slipped and now shares the lead with ‘Wanna Wac Em’, while

Every Holes a Goal has slipped further back. So despite some individual flashy wins it is the consistent performers who lead the way. While we head into our Xmas-New Year break you can enjoy the festivities, but remember there is good stuff in store in the Sixes.

Players are reminded that they can play games up to two weeks ahead. This gives you the chance to get some games on the board to cover for absences because of family travel, or holidays away.

Christmas gifts arrived early for the Jeffries and Stanley families with each winning a race at Warren on Friday. Strapped by Dale Jeffries, trained at Parkes by his wife Sharon Jeffries and ridden by their daughter Tiffany Jeffries, Ligny won the 1000 metres QUBE Logistics Maiden Handicap.

From behind the leaders, Ligny ($10) attacked when turning for home and after a three horse battle won by a long neck from Alotafox (Tony Cavallo,$6) and Ready’s Best (Kath Bell-Pitomac,$17).

Apprentice jockey Ashleigh Stanley then rode Leap Of Legend for her Bathurst-based mum and dad, Peter.W.Stanley (trainer) and Melissa Eassie (strapper) in the 1400 metres Landmark Benchmark 58 Handicap.

Leap Of Legend ($9) led all the way for a half length win over Prettylittlefellow (Jake Pracey-Holmes-Holmes,$4.80) with Stravali (Eleanor Webster-Hawes,$61) two and a half lengths away third.

Trained at Nyngan by Rodney Robb for loyal client Wayne Brown, Huang Zhong (Jake Pracey-Holmes-Holmes,$4.60 equal favourite) shared the lead then worked clear to beat Thursday’s Star (James Rogers,$5) and Real Rainbow (Wendy Peel,$7) in the 1200 metres Adors Party Hire Maiden Plate.

Former top jockey Kody Nestor continued his successful transition to a Dubbo based trainer when Music Miss (Tony Cavallo,$8) took control at the top of the straight and was a convincing winner of the Penrite/MCC Hydraulics Class 1 Handicap (1200 metres) from The Long Run (Ashleigh Stanley, $31) and Court In Camera (Mathew Cahill,$5.50).

First leg of a winning double for jockey Andrew Banks was the Michael Plummer, Orange trained Prior Engagement ( $4.60 eq.fav.) which had a charmed run in fourth position before accounting for Carinda Road ( Eleanor Webster-Hawes,$51) and Eyota ( Ken Dunbar,$4.60 eq.fav.) in the 1600 metres Principle Focus Class 1 Handicap.                   

Dubbo Twilight meeting on Friday to be followed by Bathurst on Saturday, Wellington on Boxing Day and the Macquarie Picnics at Trangie on Saturday, December 29.

The Gilgandra Cup Carnival on Tuesday January 1 and Sunday January 6 kicks off racing in 2019.