Madame De Ban electric in Highway victory
A group of electricians who helped build Matthew Dunn’s stable can lay claim to being part of the trainer’s unrivalled success in Highway races after Madame De Ban won stylishly at Rosehill.
The tradesmen own the four-year-old mare who gave Dunn his seventh Highway victory in Saturday’s 1500m plate race at Rosehill.
The win put the Murwillumbah trainer one clear of Canberra’s Matthew Dale in the races for country-trained horses.
Dunn’s wife Keira said the owners had been instrumental in building their Murwillumbah stable near the NSW-Queensland border.
“Matt drives them crazy saying ‘you need to come here and do that’,” Keira Dunn said.
“They’re there often during an afternoon and can see how hectic it can be.
“They’re a great part of the team as well.”
Madame De Ban was sent out the $3 favourite and held off a challenge from the Terry Evans-trained Maestro Tom ($51) in the straight to score by a long neck.
Circle Game ($14) ran third.
Madame De Ban is likely to join stablemates Hanwritten and Quatronic in the Country Championship Qualifier at Grafton on February 12.
Vitervo Star’s jockey Rachael Murray became the second rider to fall at the meeting after Deanne Panya came off Sebring Express in the Widden Stakes.
While Panya went to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone, Murray fared better and was up and walking after the incident.