Sydney's leading jockey Hugh Bowman extended his lead in the metropolitan riding championshipat Newcastle on Wednesday with a an early double.
The John O'Shea trained More Than Ready three-year-old gelding Art Thou Ready gave him the first leg, coming off a disappointing unplaced run at Canterbury over 1550m on June 6.
He backed that up in the following race, the Two-year-old Maiden Plate (1300m) with a dominant win on the Chris Waller trained colt Grand Business.
Art Thou Ready (57.5kg) had the wide barrier of nine and Bowman was content to settle at the rear allowing a good tempo to maintain touch with the field as they headed to the main straight.
Once they were into the run home Bowman went to the outside, five wide but with clear running, and from the 250m he sent Art Thou Ready forward. Art Thou Ready took a little time to wind up, but under Bowman's direction he surged to the front and went away to win well with the margin 2 1/2L.
Blazing Dragon and Kerrin McEvoy made a notable run from the same rear position as the winner, but without the pace, to run solidly into second, with Full Blast and Nathan Berry third, the margin a neck.
“Take a bow Hugh,” said Bryce Heys, Randwick foreman for O'Shea, “We were pleased to have him on and delighted with the performance.”
Heys suggested that the forward plan for Art Thou Ready would be a continuation through the grades as he gained strength.
“I was really pleased with him,” said Bowman, “It was aided by a genuine pace and I bided my time. At the 250m he put them to the sword.”
It was the second win at Newcastle for Art Thou Ready after a win on Boxing Day last year over 1400m.
The win on Grand Business was even easier with the colt showing a good turn of foot to run away from the field with 300m to run and win with a 3L margin over Diamond Start and Change Often.
Bowman's tally for the season to-date is now 85.5 wins with his nearest rival Nash Rawiller on 70 winners. It was also a winning double for Waller after winning the first of the program with Cumin, and he extends his lead over Gai Waterhouse from 108.5 to 95 with some six weeks of the season to go.
