Head Scratching


The results are in from the weekend racing on Boorolong but interpreting them is proving more challenging for your absent reporter! It was decided to run the event as A and B graded scratch races rather than the advertised Points Race due to the practicalities of getting up and back through the middle of the charging pack which seemed like a good decision on the narrow roads.

There were some interesting grading selections with Dave Harris and Peter Hosking getting a promotion into A while our resident B-grade burglars Rhys Williams and Jeff Flatt flew under the radar once again. Jo sent the 7 A-graders off first and then despatched B-grade shortly after on the assumption that A would be quicker than B.

Unfortunately A-Grade disintegrated quite early on when Mick Harris attacked on Black’s Hill taking Sam Munday and Mick Sherwood with him, so by the time B-Grade were approaching the same climb they could see the remnants of the race ahead. At this point Jeff decided to ride off the front which briefly had Rhys torn between supporting his mates and chasing victory but he quickly saw sense and selected the latter option, jumping onto Jeff’s wheel. Bourkey and Pete Harris joined him for a while and the four made good progress until Jeff went solo once again.

Up ahead Sam and Mick Sherwood had powered on, the pair now showing a clean pair of heels to the chasers in their grade although Holly and Peter Hosking had been joined by Rhys after the turn and those three then caught Jeff Flatt before eventually reeling in Dave Harris to round off a mixed-grade, mid-race bunch.

At this point it all becomes a bit too hard to fathom precisely what happened but in A-Grade Mick Sherwood and Sam Munday did battle for first place which Mick just won in the end. There was then a 1m:25s gap before Houlty powered home in third and Mick Harris in fourth.

We then had Rhys and Jeff powering up the finishing straight fighting for B-Grade victory which Rhys just won, both recording an impressively quick time, Phil Thomas and Bourkey sharing third place in the same grade. The times in the table below were courtesy of Rhys who kindly interpreted the video evidence and made sense of the results.

Well done to Mick Sherwood and Rhys, our winners on the day, and thanks to Jo for running the race and putting signs out kindly assisted by Bob Murison. This coming weekend there is no local Armidale Senior racing as we head over to Gilgai for the Inverell ‘Bundy and Back’ 70K handicap race. It’s not too late to get your entries in for that one if you haven’t already done so.

RiderGradePlaceTimeAvg
SHERWOOD MickA10:49:2037.09
MUNDAY SamA20:49:2037.09
HOULT MickA30:50:4536.06
HARRIS MickA40:51:3035.53
HARRIS DaveA50:51:4235.40
HOSKING PeterA60:51:4235.40
HARRIS HollyA71:00:5230.07
WILLIAMS RhysB10:50:5335.96
FLATT JeffB20:50:5335.96
THOMAS PhilB30:52:2434.92
BOURKE DeneB30:52:2434.92
HARRIS PeteB50:53:4334.07
MARA BillyB60:54:5733.30
CREAGAN PeteB60:54:5733.30
WILKINSON RichardB60:54:5733.30
HAYDON MarkB90:55:0433.23
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