Wangaratta galloper The Cuban scored the best win of his career when he took out the Tocumwal Gold Cup on Saturday.

The Rubick gelding, trained by Dan McCarthy at Wangaratta and ridden by apprentice Sarah McDonough, scored by just under a length from Toompine, with Penny Penguin in third place.

The Cuban, as well as the runner-up, started at 10-1 in Saturday’s $20,000 feature event in front of a big crowd at the popular Easter race meeting. The well supported $2.80 favourite, Fourthtimelucky, was in fourth place.

It was a day dominated by north-east Victorian trainers and female jockeys at Tocumwal.

The last three winners on the card are trained at Wangaratta, while another two were from Benalla and one from Wodonga.

Five of the six winners were ridden by female jockeys.

There was an upset result in race one, a Maiden Plate over 1100 metres, when one of the outsiders, Zar Zar, scored a narrow win over $4.60 favourite Typhoon Romance.

It was a form reversal by Zar Zar, an emergency which only gained a start after scratchings.

The Sepoy mare, trained at Wodonga by David O’Prey and ridden by apprentice Faith Collins, had been well beaten and not run a place in five previous starts this calendar year, mostly when starting at 100-1 or higher.

But relishing Collins’ four kilogram claim and a soft barrier, Zar Zar proved too strong for Typhoon Romance, with Rhys Archard trained It’s Justa Guess in third place.

The second race was an 1100 metre Class 2 Handicap, taken out by Legendary Diva, by over a length to $3.70 favourite Lujaego with outsider Nineveh in third place.

Legendary Diva, starting at $5.50, put the writing on the wall with narrow defeats in stronger races at Yarra Glen and Wagga at her previous two starts, and obviously enjoyed an eight-week freshen up.

Tayla Childs overcame a wide barrier to guide the Written Tycoon mare home for Benalla trainer Grant White.

Race three was a 1300 metre Maiden Handicap, taken out by $3.50 favourite Hard Lane who had over a length to spare from Salina Special, with second favourite Wayne’s Dream in third place.

Hard Lane showed good trial form in January and was beaten just over three lengths in a much harder maiden at Swan Hill at his previous start. The All Too Hard gelding, at his third race start, was ridden by apprentice Cassidy Hill for Benalla trainer Vince Nolen.

In race four, a 1300 metre Benchmark 45 Handicap, the consistent Waguna was sent out at 6-1 despite a last start win in Benchmark 50 grade at Carrathool, which followed two second placings.

The seven year-old gelding, trained at Wangaratta by Andrew Dale and well ridden by Bradley Vale, had to contend with a wide barrier but was still too good, winning by more than three lengths from the Sylvia Thompson trained Barn Zee, with True Prophet in third place.

Race five was the aforementioned Tocumwal Gold Cup, followed by the sixth and final event on the program, a 1600 metre Benchmark 50 handicap.

Sly Cascata and King Czar were sent out $4.60 equal favourites, with the former scoring a narrow victory and the latter finishing a disappointing last.

The consistent Sly Cascata was well fancied after recording two wins and two minor placings at his previous four starts. He was another to come from a wide barrier, well steered by Jade Darose for Benalla trainer Shelley Kirkpatrick.

He had a narrow margin on the line to the Andrew Dale trained San Marco, with another Benalla galloper, Maham, in third place.

It was a competitive day’s country racing on the Tocumwal circuit, in front of a large crowd on a pleasant autumn afternoon.

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Wednesday, 20th October 2027

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