Back-to-back for Jerilderie Gold Cup winner

Eamonn’s Memory started a cups domination at this time last year when he won the 2025 Jerilderie Gold Cup.

He followed that up with wins over the following five weeks in the Berrigan Cup and the Deniliquin Cup.

The Per Incanto gelding, with Josh Richards again in the saddle as he was for last year’s Cup success, started a $3 favourite on Saturday and took his stake earnings to more than $300,000 with the victory.

After his Deniliquin Cup victory last year, part owner Adrian Grantham described Eamonn’s Memory as “a great country horse”. That assessment was again ratified on Saturday.

The win halted a run of ‘near misses’ on the six race card for trainer Andrew Dale.

Local interest in the Cup centred on Paul McVicar gallopers Boy From Tennessee and Gobbo’s Mate, which both finished well back.

In race one, a 1000m Maiden Plate, the Wangaratta trained Charleston Lane was sent out a $2.10 favourite on the back of two jump-out wins and the Street Boss filly did not disappoint her backers, with a narrow win over Nano Bubbles.

The Saab Hasan trained runner-up had to settle for a minor placing for the third time this campaign, and is knocking on the door to lose her Maiden status.

The winner was ridden by Jake Duffy, with John Keating in the saddle for the runner-up. Third placing went to Love Dad, trained by Don Dwyer and ridden by Alice Kennedy.

The second race was a 1000m Benchmark 58, with the local hopes in $2.20 favourite Winter Hail, trained on the track by Paul McVicar.

But the Frosted gelding had to settle for second, beaten narrowly by the other fancied runner, Cliento, which gave the Weeding and Duffy combination the first two races on the program.

Cliento was struggling for form early in the year but has come back from a break with successive wins.

Andrew Dale trained the third and fourth placed runners, Densetsu and See You Then.

Craig Weeding continued his outstanding start to the meeting when he took out race three, a 1200m Benchmark 45, with four year-old Pippie Pomar, but had to share the prize when judges couldn’t split the mare with veteran Gargantuan and declared a dead heat.

Gargantuan, trained at Bendigo by Erin Maher, was one of the outsiders but defied the odds when coming back in class after short let-up.

The winners were ridden by Chelsea Taylor and Hannah Edgley respectively, and finished a length in front of Prince Rupert, as Andrew Dale had to settle for another placing.

In race four, a 1300m Maiden, Nicked Away was the rank outsider after poor recent form, including a 19 length last at Corowa at his previous outing.

But the return to a good surface did wonders for the Nicconi four year-old, who got the major prize in a photo finish over one of the favourites, Andrew Dale’s Coachella Lass, which continued the run of placings for the Wangaratta trainer.

The winner is trained by Iris Zimmermann at Tatura and was ridden by Justin Stanley, and Jake Duffy was aboard the runner-up.

Third placing went to the Nathan Hobson trained mare, Saraya.

Race five was the aforementioned Jerilderie Gold Cup.

In the final event on the program, the Wangaratta domination continued when six year-old mare Imposing Tallulah, scratched from the Gold Cup, was sent out favourite in the 1400m Benchmark 50 after a solid fourth placing in a tougher race at Corowa.

The Ashleigh Smith trained galloper didn’t let punters down, scoring by over a length to Jingu Express, giving Andrew Dale yet another placing, with Final Quarter in third place.

The winner was ridden by Cassidy Hill and the runner-up by Zoe Waller.

Training honours on the Jerilderie Cup program went to Craig Weeding with his three early victories (including a dead heat), while Andrew Dale had a winner and four minor placings.

Riding honours went to Jake Duffy with a winning double.