Country cups king Danny Miller showed once again why he reins supreme on Saturday, taking out the 2017 Collie Cup with Toned.
The oldest jockey still riding in Australia at a sprightly 70, Miller was legged aboard the Mark Bairstow trained gelding for the $10,000 feature.
At nine years of age, Toned ($4.10) is no spring chicken, but the pair’s combined experience was enough to charge down pre-race favourite Prentice by a half-head over the 2000 metre distance.
The pair put a massive eight-and-a-half length gap on Wonorg who finished third in the field of seven.
The first of the day saw the unfancied Marble King ($14) and jockey Colin Haddon cling on for a short half-head win over King Cool.
A gun run up the rail in race two was enough for Willie White to claim the chocolates aboard Backtobeverley.
Sitting seventh on the turn, the pair tore up the dirt to beat Luke’s Logic by a long neck.
White then went back-to-back in the third of the day with top-weight Endless Spin ($11.10). The nine-year-old gelding had suffered 58 career starts without a win, but Saturday was his day.
A soft ride in second throughout gave connections hope in the straight with Endless Spin kicking on to win by three lengths ahead of Stopwatch and Thun Derecho.
The race had been delayed by more than half an hour after Maiwald threw jockey Renee Forrest at the barrier and took of, giving the clerk of the course a real challenge.
Mick’s Tipping ($6.50) and jockey Simone Alteri were too strong in race four, circling the field of eight to win by more than three lengths while the last of the day saw favourite Fringed ($3.40) and apprentice hoop Jessica Gray victorious by two lengths over Mythical Trust and Husselhoff.
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