The Australia Day meeting at Bunbury Racecourse delivered a full afternoon of competitive racing on Monday, January 26, with seven races run between late morning and mid-afternoon. The card reached its peak with the Wittens Irrigation & Design Handicap, a testing Class 1 event that stood as the feature contest and drew strong attention as the day’s most anticipated race.
Festivities began at 11:05am, with the opening Nelson Irrigation Australia Maiden setting an early tempo for the meeting. The spotlight fell on Pariah’s Thanks, a three-year-old bay filly who showed sharp early speed to take control and never relinquish it. Ridden confidently by Holly Watson, the filly delivered for trainers Daniel and Ben Pearce, stopping the clock at 59.67 seconds. Maythisbetheone finished second, with Deepest Desire closing out the placings, as the crowd settled into a promising start to the day.
Race two, the Hunter Industries Maiden, delivered another fast finish as Sharpassa, a three-year-old brown filly trained by Lucy Fiore, edged clear under Jason Miller. Her winning time of 59.37 seconds proved decisive over Hot Chix Lane and Ziolite, keeping the early momentum alive.
Stamina came into play in the Toro Australia Maiden, where Buster Biff, a chestnut three-year-old gelding trained by David Harrison, produced a strong finish under Holly Nottle. He crossed in 1:44.19, defeating Magic Carats and Keri Commander in a solid staying effort.
The Nutrien Water Maiden followed, with Barney Rommel continuing the pattern of emerging talent. The three-year-old brown gelding, partnered by Tom Wolfe and trained by Chanel Cooper, prevailed in 1:25.16, finishing ahead of Vampi Queen and Safedeel.
Attention then shifted to the feature Wittens Irrigation & Design Handicap, where experience proved decisive. Maximum Impact, a seven-year-old bay or brown gelding, delivered a composed performance for trainer Bruno Monteleone and jockey Natika Riordan. He stopped the clock at 2:07.59, asserting over Annie Warbucks, with Hot Nova filling third in a race that lived up to its billing.
Later in the afternoon, the Swan Draught Handicap brought speed back into focus. Galway Shawl, a four-year-old bay or brown mare, proved decisive under Bruce Watkins for trainer Jason Whiting, stopping the clock at 59.43 seconds. She finished ahead of Desert Life and Hezangelic, continuing the strong standard of racing.
The meeting concluded at 3:01pm with the TABtouch Supports Bunbury Racing Handicap, where Pingers, a four-year-old bay mare, provided a memorable finale. Partnered by Misty Bazeley and trained by Brad Parnham, Pingers surged clear to win in 1:05.78, defeating Rolling Ruler and Miss Finkmeyer.
Bunbury Race Results 26 January delivered a balanced mix of speed, stamina, and competitive depth, offering a fitting showcase for summer racing in Western Australia.
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