Eight-year-old mare Fountains was rewarded for some recent consistent efforts by taking out the John Cleaves Memorial Handicap at Wine Country Race Club’s Anzac Day meeting at the Cessnock track.
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Fountains, trained at Menangle by Scott Wade and ridden by apprentice Nyssa Burrells, was coming off solid runs at Cootamundra and Queanbeyan with the win its seventh from 73 starts.
The race was in honour of the late Mr Cleaves, who had a long association with the Newcastle Jockey Club and had a passion for racing at Cessnock where he was chairman of the Wine Country Race Club sub-committee.
A big crowd attended the iconic meeting; the former Cessnock Jockey Club was the first club in Australia to race on Anzac Day, well over 50 years ago.
Red Mist trained by Janelle Butler from Scone had an easy win in the time-honoured Cessnock Leagues Club Jack Hibberd Memorial Maiden Handicap while Robert Thompson claimed the Amy Wilson Memorial Maiden on Anarchy Rock.
Meanwhile, Thompson picked up a winner for Jeremy Sylvester at Tamworth on Sunday when Plutorius lined up for win number 10 from 47 starts.
Plutorius was originally trained at Randwick by Kevin Moses before joining the Sylvester.
Sunday’s win was the 7-year-old gelding’s first victory since claiming the Lismore Gold Club in September last year.
