Latest News

By Greg Prichard

There was only one race left for two of the most promising apprentice jockeys in NSW - Anna Roper and Mollie Fitzgerald - to rack up a winner at the Taree race meeting on Sunday and the pair went on to fight it out in a desperately close finish.

It was Roper who emerged victorious, with her mount What A Rush winning the last event on the seven-race card - the First National Commercial Taree Class 3 Handicap over 1005m - by a nose from Cool Fizz, ridden by Fitzgerald.

Roper and Fitzgerald had each only had one ride apiece on the program before the last and neither had been able to win.

What a Rush (yellow, blue cap) holds off Cool Fizz at Taree on Sunday. Image by Trackside Photography

What A Rush, trained by Neil Godbolt at Port Macquarie, and Cool Fizz (Brett Dodson, Coffs Harbour) were always the first two in the run, with What A Rush leading and Cool Fizz sitting three-quarters of a length away on its outside.

Cool Fizz took a narrow lead soon after straightening and momentarily looked like forging away to a comfortable win, but What A Rush found something extra under Roper’s urging and fought back to make a race of it again.

The two horses hit the line locked together and it took the photo-finish camera to be able to split them.

Favourite backers were happy, with What A Rush starting on top of the market at $3.90 and Cool Fizz at $6.

Sapphire Kiss, trained by Wayne Seelin at Wyong and ridden by Winona Costin, was close-up in third place at $10.

It was the fourth win from 11 starts for three-year-old filly What A Rush, which was unable to win at either of its two starts in her first preparation but has since won twice in her second preparation and twice more in her third.

“Fifty metres out we were gone for all money and then she’s put in those couple of big bounds coming to the line,” Godbolt said. “But I still thought the outside horse had lasted.

“What A Rush is a lovely filly with a lovely nature about her. Her first two wins were as a two-year-old against older horses and when they do that they mostly go on to win a few more.”

Roper has now ridden What A Rush five times for three wins.

“She dug in late,” Roper said. “She didn’t pull up all that good from Kempsey on that jarring track at her last run. It took a bit out of her. But today with that little bit of give in the ground it was just perfect for her.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with her. She’s really easy to ride, she gets up on the speed and gives herself every chance. She’s tough and she’s honest.

“She probably needs a little bit of a freshen-up now, but she’s had a great preparation and I couldn’t be happier with her.”

View the full results with race replays for Taree here