Dubbo’s charge to glory

FOR some the naming of a horse is as important as selecting who will be responsible for training the animal.

So when it came time to name a yearling filly by Bianconi from West Quest mare Vivacious, part-owners John Kingston and Richard Foster put their heads together and came up with Hepburn, which was in reference in some way to the late Hollywood screen star Katharine Hepburn.

But when the name was submitted there was another filly that had the same name submitted by her owners, Godolphin, so needless to say when it came to a ballot the Tasmanian connections were politely asked to submit an alternative name.

Kingston was left with the task and this is his explanation of how Dubbo was landed with a somewhat masculine name.

“After missing out on Hepburn I was thinking to myself that I’d had a dog of a day and it hit me,” Kingston said.

“I raced a dog named Dubbo that won a Hobart Thousand so I thought that sounded like a great name so I submitted it and it was immediately accepted.”

At Spreyton on Tuesday Dubbo was having her fourth start and treated her rivals with contempt as she powered her way to an all-the-way win in the Alan Hardstaff Memorial Maiden over 1150m.

With Antony Darmanin aboard, the four-year-old travelled well to the home turn but looked in trouble soon after they straightened for the run home. But she found her second wind and forged clear.

She hit the line 2½ lengths clear of first-starter Treeconi, with Sh’bourne Dynasty almost a half-length astern.

Her trainer Barry Campbell was impressed.

“I thought she was gone 300 metres out, but she came again and looked quite strong on the line,” Campbell said.

Darmanin also was pleased with how the mare delivered when put under pressure.

“This was a lot better win that you might think,” Darmanin said. “She lost concentration for a moment and that is what made it look like she’d had enough but she switched back on.”

Dubbo could have her next start at Spreyton on Devonport Cup Day. LIGHTLY raced three-yearold filly Tycoon’s Daughter renewed her love affair with the Devonport synthetic by scoring an impressive win in a 0-62 handicap over 1150m.