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By Colin Hodges

A very big crowd at Coonabarabran on Sunday witnessed a record breaking feat when Siena Grima rode the winner in five successive races.

The winning haul for the leading apprentice jockey included the $75,000 Imperial Hotel-Coonabarabran Showcase Cup on the Jeremy Gask, Scone-trained Who Ever Thought.

Tracking the leading pair The Hanger Cat and Shamedy in the 1600m Cup, Who Ever Thought ($2.50 into $2.10 favourite) was sent to the front approaching the home turn.

Apprentice Siena Grima - landed five straight winners at Coonabarabran. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)

In an exciting finish they held off by a short head Rhythm Is A Dancer (Kody Nestor, $5.50 to $8) with the very consistent Lockdown Gamble (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $3.30) a game third.

Tamworth trainer Sue Grills supplied two of the Siena Grima winners; Somerton Smart in the 1200m Brett Bowman Racing & Breeding-Super Maiden Handicap and Night Fighter in the 1400m Futurity Pastoral-Benchmark 66 Baradine Cup.

Debutant Somerton Smart ($3.50) enjoyed a nice run behind the leaders before beating Yiasou (Dylan Stanley, $20) and Bullant (Reece Jones, $3.80).

While Siena Grima from midfield followed the inside rail all the way home on Night Fighter ($4.20) to win by over a length from Awesome Tycoon (Brontë Simpson, $31) and Slush Fund (Zoe Hunt, $6).

Starting the ball rolling for Siena Grima was the Paul Clisby, Dubbo-trained Supreme Style, $1.45 to $1.30 favourite which raced handy to the speed.

The horse then broke clear from Just Joan (Shannen Llewellyn, $11) and Street Skater (Wendy Peel, $10) in the 900m Barron’s Tyres & Mechanical and Big Sky Experiences Maiden Plate.

Siena Grima was also aboard the Holly Williams, Tamworth-trained Enterprise Legend ($4 to $3.30 favourite), all-the-way winner of the 1100m Coonabarabran Bowling Club-Cup Day Showcase Sprint from Life’s A Party (Reece Jones, $17) and Rouge Moulin (Anna Roper, $3.40).

The now retired jockeys Greg Ryan and Tony Cavallo have ridden five successive winners at meetings in the central districts and western area, however, it is doubtful if an apprentice has equalled the achievement of Siena Grima.

Bill Aspros did ride the card at Wellington (including a dead-heat for first with then apprentice Greg Ryan) and Greg Ryan rode six of the seven winners at Louth - with one of his mounts winning twice on the day.

At the highly successful Coonabarabran Cup meeting there were also wins for the Michael Mulholland-trained Shadow Dane (Reece Jones, $5 to $4.40), the Jackie Greentree-trained Sunday (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $4 to $3.40) and Cresta Run (Anna Roper, $1.75 to $1.50 fav) trained by Brett & Georgie Cavanough.

Spring racing continues at Dubbo on Saturday and the following Tuesday while the Warren Cotton Cup is on Sunday 9th November.