Dubbo trainer Charmaine Roberts had a night out at Bathurst on Friday, with each of her three runners taking out a feature, headlined by the win of Caitlyn Keeping in the Ladbrokes Bathurst Gold Cup Final.
Roberts took only three greyhounds from her Dubbo base down the highway to Bathurst - Caitlyn Keeping, Madeline Keeping and Bolt Keeping - and all three headed home with a win.
Madeline Keeping led all the way to take out the prestigious Bill Kennerson Memorial Final over the 307m trip in a slick 17.66s, before kennelmate Bolt Keeping railed through on the top turn and raced away for victory in the Lord Mayors Stakes over the 450m, clocking 25.93s.
But the big prize on offer was the $15,000 to the winner of the Bathurst Gold Cup final over the 520m, and it was Madeline Keeping's litter sister Caitlyn Keeping, who jumped perfectly from box three, and while her main rival Little Digger was caught in traffic, Caitlyn Keeping was off and gone, racing away to win in 29.94s, and add yet another feature to her impressive resume.
Last August, Caitlyn Keeping - after originally missing a start in the final - gained a run in the Group 2 Black Top Final at The Gardens, and led all the way to beat subsequent Group 1 winner Zipping Tayla.
Second in the Bathurst Gold Cup went to Paul Braddon's Double Up Dee, with outsider Kitboolou Corza in third place.
It was a tumultuous night for the Bathurst Club. Only two weeks ago, Bathurst were forced to abandon half of their meeting after being hit by torrential rain, and it appeared the same might be the case on Friday.
The track was hit by massive storms, pelted by rain and awash with lightning and thunder, and lost power as the meeting was getting ready to begin.
Power was restored and eventually rain eased, and with all races put back one race, the meeting was able to go ahead.
