With five runners from Queensland contesting the eight horse field Logan Village trainer Mark “Jack” Butler had two runners - eventual winner Zara’s Delight and stablemate Sam’s A Champ.

Both horses are owned by Harness Racing NSW Board member and former North West resident Rod Smith.

Sam’s A Champ led the field from the pole while stablemate Zara’s Delight was tucked in on the leaders back after commencing out of the six barrier.

“It was good to get a winner overall and especially to win the Cup” was how reinsman Nathan Dawson summed up his efforts in the feature.

“It’s the first time I have been here to Inverell and it’s a nice track to drive on”

Sam’s A Champ flew out of the gate but Zara’s Delight didn’t quite have the speed to follow the stablemate and had to put in some long strides to hold her position.

“We nearly lost our spot at the start but we held it” added Dawson.

With the 2,000 metres run in 2.00.8 Nathan Dawson was exultant when the split came on the home turn for Zara’s Delight.

“We got clear in the straight and it was home from there”

Sam’s a Champ (Bart Cockburn) , Zara’s Delight and Tamworth pacer Tact Maria (Michael Grima) all raced together down the home straight with Zara Delight coming away for a 4 metre win over Tact Maria and Sam’s a Champ a short half head away third.

“You hope for a bit of luck in these races and luck was on our side today which worked out good” said Dawson.

Twelve months back - as three year old’s - Sam’s A Champ had a 3 metre win over Zara’s Delight in the $10,000 Armidale Express Golden Horse Shoe at Armidale but Sunday saw a turn of the tables – and the results board.

“They are pretty evenly matched so it was good to be on the winner today” added Dawson “She (Zara’s Delight) is a good honest mare”

From 22 race starts Zara’s Delight – a four year old Rock N Roll Heaven-Barely Legal mare - has had nine wins and eight placings with $80,000 in prizemoney.

It was a local win in the Royal Hotel Motel Pace when Western Safari – who is trained on the Inverell Paceway by Col Hobday – had an all the way win in the Royal Hotel Motel Pace.

Handled by reinsman Tom Ison he sent the five year old Safari mare straight to the lead from barrier three in the race designated for horses trained in the telephone prefix of 067 area.

From the eight barrier Uralla pacer Yellow Taxi with Bart Cockburn in the spider placed pressure on Western Safari for two laps with Western Safari only going on to improve her position.

“I held out and won the race” said Ison after the tussle with Yellow Taxi.

Western Safari had an 11 metre win over Narrabri pacer McArdles Star (Lola Weidemann) and Tamworth pacer The Last Gindi (Richard Williams) six metres away third. 

“It was a good local race for her” added Ison of Western Safari “she won at the Inverell show last week”