Coolring wins Wagga Town Plate for Joe Cleary and Kathy O'Hara

Cleary captured his second Town Plate some 15 years apart as Kathy O’Hara piloted Coolring ($21.00) to an upset victory in the feature sprint.

O’Hara had the seven-year-old three wide with cover from barrier 14 and then he showed a brilliant turn of foot to swoop straight past the leaders in the straight to win by 1½ lengths.

The well-supported Viceroy ($10.00) found the line for second, while Ashlor ($4.40) boxed on for third.

Coolring was only having his third start for Cleary after being transferred from the Bjorn Baker stable and was able to register his first win in two years.

“It’s awesome, bloody beautiful,” Cleary said.

“I don’t get goosebumps often, but gee, that was beautiful.

“I’ve only had him for three runs but I’ve turned him around. Mad fresh, kept him happy and he’s just a beautiful old horse.

“I was confident but I got up shadow boxing after I seen the barrier draw, I thought oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles but it was a gun ride.”

Cleary won the 2003 Town Plate with Ta Ta Tatiana, ridden by Jim Cassidy. He also enjoyed a Wagga Gold Cup win in 2015 with Landlocked.

“It’s been a while between drinks, it would have had to been 15 years ago when I won my last Town Plate,” he said.

“But he’s a beautiful old horse, you get these old horses and give them a window of opportunity and it comes to fruition.”

It was Coolring’s first win since May 7, 2016, when winning the listed Prime Minster’s Cup (1400m) at Gold Coast.

Wagga mare O’So Hazy again ran a big race for trainer Scott Spackman and connections, making ground up the rails to finish fourth.

Spackman also had Takookacod run sixth.

Oxford Poet started the $2.80 favourite and battled on to run fifth, beaten three lengths.

Wagga’s other two runners, Man Of Peace and Lazyaxl, ran 10^th and 16^th respectively.

Cleary will back up on Cup day with Bart in the MTC Guineas and Rosaruby in the Queen of the South.