GREYHOUNDS: Lithgow trained black bitch Shacoby Lee won the final of the Brian Cleaver Bookmaker Stakes at Mudgee on Sunday but the meeting wasn’t without success for Dubbo trainer Don Ronneberg.

Ronneberg-trained Baroda Pearl lived up its 6-4 favourite rating in the 5th Grade Stakes over 434m and lasted by a head to shut out Guantanamo Girl (2-1) with Modern News (5-2) a further four lengths back third. The winner’s time was 25.31s.

Feature race on the big 12-race card was the Brian Cleaver Bookmakers Final over 311m and the race lived up to its expectations.

As the second fastest qualifier, Shacoby Lee was able to settle behind the leader Laurie’s Mate around the circle and once the dogs raced into the strong headwind down the home straight she raced away to a strong win.

Second was Robert Milne, Mudgee-trained Kayla Enlim who finished quickly once heads turned for home while early leader Laurie’s Mate held on to finish third.

Shacoby Lee started as the 6-4 equal favourite with Devine Lee who showed for the second week in a row that she couldn’t handle the tight turns at Mudgee and on the home turn hampered Spyro and put his finals hopes asunder.

Shacoby Lee won by 2.25 lengths and in a good time considering the dogs faced a strong headwind in the straight, clocking 17.86 seconds for the final.

Trainer Terry Northey had the two fastest qualifiers for the final, but it was the slower of his kennel duo that came out on top in the $1000-to-the-winner final.

“I always thought Shacoby Lee would win as I know from their work that she is the faster dog,” Northey said.

“She has been a problem dog and has taken quite a time to show her potential.

“She was anaemic and it took me a long while to get her right and she has now won five races and is unbeaten in three starts at Mudgee.

“I believe that now I have got all her problems solved she will make the grade on TAB tracks and I hope to take her there in the near future.”

Shacoby Lee’s win was the first of a winning treble for the Lithgow trainer, who also owns all three of his winners. Two of Northey’s winners (Shacoby Lee and Shacoby Ann) are litter sisters.

The feature was the fifth race on the program and, to that point, not one locally bred dog had saluted.

A small field headed to the start for the sixth race when Chloe Milne gave her Mudgee trainer Robert Milne a great sight until Matty Roc, trained at Hargraves by Alf Vella, raced up on her inside leaving the circle to give a local quinella. Connections of the winner of the sixth race, Petriburg Lass, were more than happy with the win when they received a Blue Paws bonus of $600 in addition to the $200 for the win.