Canberra-trained horse wins Highway Hcp

Handle The Truth (right) has made the most of a reprieve for Canberra horses in Highway Handicaps.

Training partners Keith Dryden and Scott Collings have celebrated the return of Canberra horses to the Highway Handicaps with Handle The Truth winning at Rosehill.

Canberra was taken out of the series for country-trained horses last year when they were assessed to be provincial class but were reinstated from the beginning of this month.

Collings said he and Dryden identified Saturday’s 1200m-race as soon as they learned Handle The Truth was again eligible.

Handle The Truth was sent out the $3.40 favourite and raced on the pace for Jay Ford from the outset and beat Risk And Reward by a long head as the two battled to the line.

“Now that we are back in the Highways this was the right race for him,” Collings said.

I”m not sure where we go with him now. Maybe another one of these races.

“We are not eligible for The Kosciuszko.”

The $1.3 million Kosciuszko on October 13 is for country-trained horses but the Canberra reinstatement came too late for the inaugural running of the race.