Rosehill trainer Richard Freedman’s first visit to Taree races was celebrated in style with “patched up” gelding Shalmaneser ($7) scoring a front-running win in the $80,000 Stacks Law Firm Taree Gold Cup (2000m) before an excellent crowd on Sunday.
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The win and another with Triple Choice ($5.50) in the Taree Leagues and Sports Club Benchmark 66 Showcase Handicap over 1600m were aided by superb riding by former Port Macquarie apprentice, now topline Sydney hoop, Andrew Adkins.
“It is my first time here and I am very proud to be a cup winner,” Freedman said of the Manning Valley Race Club’s TAB meeting.
Shalmaneser hadn’t won for two years and the owners Dave and Adam Zomaya had been “so patient” while the gelding was being patched up to be competitive again.
“The horse looked great in the yard today and he has a new zest for racing.”
Adkins said Shalmaneser “didn’t spend any petrol early, kicked nicely at the 600m and at the 400m I was very confident he would win.”
The gelding scored by 1.5 lengths from Wauchope gelding Allzin ($19), which gave a superb effort for trainer Graeme Hoy in its first run since April.
Third was Newcastle’s Dubaiinstyle ($4.40), one of three starters for Kris Lees who had won two recent Taree cups, with the heavily backed Taree Cup Prelude winner Lady Evelyn ($4.80 to $3.20) in fifth.
At the presentation ceremony, Freedman said: “Country racing is flying… a fantastic ride by Andrew.”
