Making the most of the opportunity as a last minute replacement rider, Wendy Peel won the opening race at Dubbo last Saturday aboard the Clint Lundholm-trained Just An Upstart.
Well ridden by Peel, Just An Upstart ($1.50 to $1.35 favourite) settled midfield then sprinted to an over four lengths win from Luskin Vain (Chelsea Ings, $20) and Our Little Zoe (Will Stanley, $21) in the 1000m Dubbo RSL Motel Maiden Handicap.
Recently sold to clients of Dubbo-based Lundholm, the 3yo chestnut gelding Just An Upstart had five starts for Randwick trainer Mark Newnham who is leaving soon to take up a contract in Hong Kong.
Returning to Dubbo as a fully-fledged jockey earlier this year after completing her indentured time in Queensland, Wendy Peel served the bulk of her apprenticeship in NSW New including a successful time with the Rodney Robb stable at Nyngan.
Feature races won by Peel for Robb included the Warren Cotton Cup on Bells ‘N’ Bows and the Louth Cup on Austin. A highlight in Queensland was winning the big prizemoney Battle Of The Bush Final at Eagle Farm on the David Reynolds, Dalby-trained Rather Salubrious.
This unique race brought together the country-trained winners at the small, mainly non-TAB clubs, in Qld. A lightweight jockey with 186 winners to her name, Wendy Peel (30) who was described by Rodney Robb as an “extremely hard worker” is likely to do well from her new base in Dubbo
Just An Upstart (Wendy Peel) bolts in at Dubbo on Saturday. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)
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By Colin Hodges