By CRAIG DUMESNY
The Forbes Diggers Harness Racing Club made a memorable return on Anzac Day after a two-year absence caused by the devastating 2022 floods.
A huge crowd turned out to witness an afternoon of first-class pacing action highlighted by an almost unbelievable performance by locally owned three-year-old Sweet On Lexy in the Forbes Shire Council Diggers Cup.
Although the odds-on favourite was expected to win - it was the way in which he accounted for his older rivals, running them ragged over the 2470 metre stayer’s course, obliterating the track record by three seconds on his way to a hollow victory.
Trained and driven by Bernie Hewitt at Bathurst and owned by Club President Lex Crosby, Sweet On Lexy took his career earnings past $118,000 from his 16 race starts which has seen him win eight races.
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An emotional Crosby was simply overwhelmed by the support his Club received that enabled the Forbes Club to get back to racing and then to see the vast numbers that turned out on Friday contributed to his emotions.
“Yes, winning a Forbes Cup rates up there as high as any big prizemoney races I have won, but it is the efforts of the people and organisations that have assisted in getting this facility up and going again that has made me emotional,” said Lex.
“To have the role as President, working with a fantastic band of people who toiled so hard to make it all happen, has simply blown me away and I just cannot thank them enough.”
The traditional Anzac Day ceremony led by Forbes sub-branch member Brian Jones was moving equalled by a rendition of the National Anthem beautifully sung by local girl Grace Neilsen.
Two novel human gig race challenges kept the crowd entertained with thrills and spills, the Forbes Magpies girls and guys teams taking home the spoils.
It was an afternoon of multiples for many of the participants with Bernie Hewitt completing the day with a winning treble.
Earlier in the afternoon Hewitt combined with Dubbo’s James Sutton whose pacers Yarraman Jolt (in the TAB Pace) and Yarraman Kaylou (the Neville and Doreen Pellow Memorial) were impressive winners, the latter raced by a group of Forbes locals.
Amanda Turnbull kicked off the afternoon in the Robert and Rosemary Lee Memorial, scoring with Our Dance Monkey.
She then quinellad the Palmer Final with her stable Foreman Isabel Ross guiding A Lil Bit Of Love to an all-the-way win to defeat a luckless Stay Foolish which found trouble at the start.
Lex Crosby’s memorable afternoon was further bolstered by his mare Shes Some Lexy taking out the Win TV Clarrie, Val, and Peter Robb Memorial with Jye Coney in the gig for trainer Olivia Frisby.
It was then Mat Rue from Canowindra who joined the winner’s circle, firstly with Warrawee Flyer in the Dwyer Contracting Pace, completing his training double in the Forbes RSL Sub-Branch Les Findley Memorial when Parkes driver Blake Medlyn got Mitchells Run home first.
The only winner not to be involved in the multiples was Grenfell pacer Western Bill for trainer, driver Mark Hewitt, the gelding racing away with the Helloworld Travel & Forbes Livestock and Agency Pud Woods Memorial.
The Forbes Club now look forward to conducting the second of their annual race meetings next Sunday, May 4.
