{"id":306624,"date":"2021-09-30T20:46:35","date_gmt":"2021-09-30T10:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=306624"},"modified":"2021-09-30T20:46:35","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T10:46:35","slug":"unique-occasion-at-nanango","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/09\/30\/unique-occasion-at-nanango\/","title":{"rendered":"Unique Occasion At Nanango"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Igbo (Hannah Phillips, inside) narrowly defeated Raining Riches (Chris Meehan) at Nanango’s Spring race meeting
(Photo: Paul McInally, Three Way Photos`)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Gunsynd's<\/p>\n

September 30, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

The part-owner of two Melbourne Cup heroes has added a Lee Park double to his list of credits.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in 2017, Mark Ruff – the principal of a Victorian construction company – had his first crack at a Melbourne Cup by way of shares in a pair of candidates.<\/p>\n

Although a dead heat would have been the preferred outcome, the quinella completed by Rekindling and Johannes Vermeer was the next best thing.<\/p>\n

The internationals (with Lloyd Williams as the main owner) were respectively prepared by Joseph O\u2019Brien and his father Aidan.<\/p>\n

But wait! There is more … <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Last year, Ruff was again on the winning side when Twilight Payment earned the loving cup.<\/p>\n

The Teofilo nine-year-old, as a lead up to an assault on November\u2019s Cup renewal, beat all bar the unlikely starter Sonnyboyliston in the recent Irish St Leger.<\/p>\n

At Nanango on September 11, two gallopers bred by Mark Ruff took out the first couple of events on the card.<\/p>\n

Chahpingah trainer Tom Moloney and jockey Hannah Phillips scored narrowly with Igbo and Diggity, a duo that Ruff bred and now races with his wife Shelley and Burrandowan identities Bob and Dorothy Black.<\/p>\n

Both horses were formerly domiciled at Mick and Luke Cerchi\u2019s Flemington yard.<\/p>\n

Ruff operates his Bulla Thoroughbreds on a large set up at Diggers\u2019 Rest near Melbourne.<\/p>\n

The campdrafting stawart first put a toe into the racing world during his student days in the 1980s when he worked at Colin Little\u2019s Caulfield stables.<\/p>\n

The initial taste of Group One success came Mark\u2019s way when Sacred Star, a gelding he bred by matching Flying Spur with his O\u2019Reilly mare Irish Nova, saluted in the 2015 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham.<\/p>\n

Irish Nova in turn produced the unraced Zabeel filly Zanova, whose first foal by Equiano (Fr) was Igbo.<\/p>\n

Twilight Payment\u2019s dam is Dream on Buddy.<\/p>\n

Ruff certainly has relished plenty of sweet moments through scenarios at Flemington and Nanango, and there may well be more to come.<\/p>\n

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Diggity makes it two from two for the Tom Moloney-Hannah Phillips combination at Lee Park (Photo: Paul McInally, Three Way Photos)`<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bits And Bridles<\/strong><\/h3>\n