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Cunnamulla trainer on track for battle of the bush decider

3 minute read

After a myriad of wash outs and transferred meetings – all 16 of the Battle of the Bush qualifiers have been run for 2022.

And, it was a gelding named Expellable who grabbed the last position at the Eagle Farm Final later this month at Cunnamulla.

Like countless stables around the Sunshine State, the Cunnamulla-based yard of Garry Bignell have had to do some juggling in recent weeks to find a BOTB heat to run in.

The veteran bush racing man had hoped to head to Quilpie last month, which was washed out, as was the original Cunnamulla BOTB heat – pushed back seven days later.

The Cunnamulla and District Diggers' Race Club were finally able to run their race day on Sunday afternoon – a day after four other BOTB heats were held across the state – as the six-year-old son of Unencumbered was able to claim the last of 16 spots in the Final.

The gelding has now won his last two on his home track, claiming Sunday's Open Plate over 1200 metres, with jockey Steven Galvin in the seat.

"He is a horse that has had injuries but I was quite happy with this run on Sunday," Bignell said.

"He got galloped on badly about eight months but he is only sort of getting over it now.

"We expected him to go all right on Sunday."

The stable took him to Birdsville earlier this preparation but the gelding failed to fire at the popular track.

While Bignell has been around racing for much of his life, he is still a relatively new to the Sunshine State bush racing scene on a permanent basis, moving north over the border around 18 months ago.

He was previously based at Nyngan in NSW.

"The wet weather has buggered us up a bit, we have missed a few meetings," he said.

"We were lucky that Cunnamulla put the races on this week as it was a washed out meeting from the week before."

The gelding, a seven time career winner, won first-up for the stable at Noorama last year. 


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