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By Colin Hodges

The biggest crowd at a Mendooran meeting for at least the past 50 years on Saturday cheered home the favourite Mean Girls in the 1200m McGirr & Associates-Mendooran Cup.

Trained by Kieren Hazelton for Gilgandra Jocky Club president, Jason Tate and ridden by Jake Pracey-Holmes, Mean Girls after sharing the lead with track record holder Castlebar Road, broke clear at the top of the straight.

Power Bank (Kath Bell-Pitomac, $4) finished strongly, however, Mean Girls ($2.80 favourite) held on to win by a short neck with over two lengths to the third-placed Loud (Jacob Stiff, $11).

Mean Girls (Wendy Peel) in a recent Narromine win. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)

Racing in career best form, the six-year-old mare Mean Girls had been a last start winner at Narromine after placings at Coonabarabran, Wellington and Gilgandra.

Kieren Hazelton had earlier won with Dao Sun which was very well ridden by apprentice Nick Hyde in the 1000m Benchmark 45 Handicap.

Dao Sun ($4) had a charmed run behind the leaders and eventually scored by a half length from Adviser (Billy Cray, $2.80 fav) and Barcoo River (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $5).

Former international rugby league star Terry Fahey is now a trainer at Dubbo and he was a popular winner of the 1200m Fitzgerald Cup Maiden Handicap with Ternini.

Trailing Capricious Belle and Firefinch in to the straight, Ternini ($3.40) under strong riding from Andrew Banks won by a short head from French Harp (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $3.50) while Firefinch (Izzy Neale, $2.30 to $2.10 fav) made it 10 placings from 17 starts when a long neck away third.

The powerful riding of Andrew Banks was also an important factor when Spicy Margherita won the 1500m Greenhalgh Cup Maiden Plate.

Trained at Coonabarabran by Graeme Brooker, Spicy Margherita ($4 equal fav) overhauled I Am Smiling (Izzy Neale, $4 eq fav) to get home by a short head with Conversations (Zoe Hunt, $7.50) finishing third.

The lightly raced 4yo gelding Chicken Legs has now won three races from four starts after taking out the 800m Class 2 Handicap for Armidale trainer Jane Clement.

Put in a handy position by Billy Cray, Chicken Legs ($4 fav) finished best to beat the leader Smart ‘N’ Ritzy (Andrew Banks, $7.50) and Zillions (Ken Dunbar, $4.80).

Punters went home happy when the heavily backed Akauwheo from the Geoff O’Brien stable at Quirindi won the final event, the 1500m McGirr Family Hotels-JJ McGirr Silver Horseshoe Class 2 Handicap.

Akauwheo (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $2.10 to $1.80 fav) led by three lengths going down the back and lasted to win in a close finish from Shamister (Jacob Stiff, $4.20) coming from last, and Satashi (Kath Bell-Pitomac, $17).

They're racing at Geurie picnics and Collarenebri on Saturday while the Bathurst Cup and Panorama Sprint are the feature races on Sunday at Bathurst.

View the full results with race replays for Mendooran here