A bargain $700 purchase was the toast of the Cowra race meeting on Saturday, recording its second career win at its eighth start for his Cowra connections.
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Purchased by Cowra racecourse curator Barry Wall and his fellow owners, partner Katrina and her son Clayton, Deshawn's ($17) Saturday win has taken its prizemoney tall to $23,306.
Ridden by in-form Kath Bell-Pitomac, Deshawn belied Wall's fears that the 950 metres of Saturday's event would be too short for the son of Zoffany.
Bell-Pitomac had Deshawn racing handy to the lead when the field settled, positioned behind early leader Raven's Rabbit with Oriental Gift on its outside.
"She was happy that the horse on the outside was right up alongside him because it kept him in, stopped him from hanging out," Wall said of Bell-Pitomac's ride.
"It made the race for him and when she gave him room at the top of the straight she knew he was going to pick them up.
"He travelled beautifully," Wall said.
Once the field turned for home Deshawn set off after Raven's Rabbit, overpowering the favourite with 100 metres to run to score a convincing win.
As for the immediate future.
"I'll think about it for a couple of days," Wall said.
"I'd like to put him in the paddock but at the same time I don't want to put him in the paddock because he's going so good.
I don't want to put him in the paddock because he's going so good
- Trainer Barry Wall
"It won't be long if I do, I'd just give him three or four weeks as a freshen up.
"But I'll look and see what is on over the next couple of weeks because he still has a couple of weeks of BOBS bonuses.
"If he does have another (start) it'll only be one. BOB's runs out as a four-year-old."
The BOBs, or NSW Breeder Owner Bonus Scheme, has increased Deshawn's winnings by just over $7000.
The BOBs available in the next two weeks certainly gives Wall plenty to think about with his in form galloper.
Wall was delighted to share the win with his partner Katrina and her son Clayton.
"Katrina and Clayton help me with the track and everything else, they were out there (helping set up) this morning," he said.
"They love the horses, Clayton comes down and watches me with the horses every afternoon and tries to help out where he can."
Asked if he was surprised by the excellent price offered by betting agencies Wall said he wasn't really, despite Deshawn's previous start second at Dubbo.
"You look at the other trainers in it and you look at me, I've won one race and I'm 60 years old," he said.
"And Kath's not a flavour of the month jockey yet either. He would've been a lot shorter if Matty (Cahill) was riding him," he added.
Cahill had ridden Deshawn at its previous start but had committed to the Cleary stable in Saturday's event.
The happiest way to end the day
It had not been the return Bathurst trainers Don and Andrew Ryan had hoped for with their mare Happiest after a year away in the paddock but in start number three she made an exceptional turnaround.
The Bathurst trainers watched on in delight as Happiest ($14) ridden by Cowra jockey Eleanor Webster-Hawes blew the field away in the Claudia Leighton Birthday Wish F&M Benchmark 58 Handicap (1,100 metres) to score a long awaited second career win.
Happiest had returned to the track with seventh and tenth place finishes at Class 1 level but the Ryans ventured into the BM58 race confident she could take down her higher-rated rivals.
The Ryan runner didn't have the easiest of journeys and showed a lot of heart to put her opponents away.
Webster-Hawes had to use Happiest early to get her into the lead, though once she got there Happiest settled into stride well.
The signs were positive as the field turned for home with Webster-Hawes looking to have a lapfull of horse under her.
As her rivals brought out the whip she kept hers away until the 200m mark when several quick taps took the mare to another level.
Other winners at Cowra on Saturday were Tiz War Bro (Patrick Scorse) for Queanbeyan trainer Paul Faccory; dead-heaters Earp (Kayla Nesbit) and Mr Maharaja (Brodie Loy) for Kurt Goldman of Goulburn and Todd Smart of Goulburn; Fling (Aaron Sweeney) for Canberra trainer Matt Dale and; The Inflamer (Ellen Hennessy) for Canberra trainer Nick Olive.