Provincial trainers grabbed five of the seven winners, Newcastle jockey Andrew Gibbons also helping them with a winning double.

Five-year-old gelding Stimuli ($2.70 to $2.30) kicked off the program for Bullock and Lees with a 1.25 length win in a class record in the Stacks Law Firm Class 2 Plate over 1250m.

“The race worked out well for me in getting the one,one sit,” Bullock said.

“It makes my ride easier…this horse has always had ability.”

Stable foreman Chris Hull praised the “perfect ride” and said that Stimuli was not overly big but the level weights helped.

Bullock said he was happy to be wide on his next winner, three-year-old filly Hammoon Dream ($3.40 to $2.70), as it was the “right spot to be in in the right race.”

Hull said the filly, which was now showing her worth with the 1.25 lengths win in the Radio 2RE 3YO Country Plate over 1300m, had taken a few starts to “switch on”.

Bullock and Lees were aiming for three-wins-in-a-row with filly Avalanche Warning ($3.20) in the Santa Comes Early At Taree On December 18 Maiden Plate over 1000m but had to bow to Gibbons on seven-year-old gelding Serious Star ($3.50), trained at Newcastle by Ken Lantry.

The gelding was only having its 15th start and led all the way to score by 1.5 lengths on the good track.

“It is about time,” Lantry said of the gelding which had only a few starts for him.

“Serious Star had about three years off with a few problems,” he said.

“He has run into a couple of good ones and it was only a matter of time for his turn to come around.”

Gibbons said: “This horse has come a long way since I first rode him.”

The jockey overcame a wide barrier with his other winner, five-year-old mare Annatime ($4.40), trained at Wyong by Kim Waugh, in the Manning River Times Class 3 Handicap over 1000m, to position in a beautiful trailing position before beating off Kempsey mare Beautiful Thing ($10) and the $2.40 favourite Run Sally Run from Gosford, to score nicely by 1.25 lengths.

Stable foreman Terry Bellew said Annatime appreciated a drop in weight, even though being top-weight,as “she is only little”.

Newcastle trainer Mick Dwyer returned to Taree after some months being away to have his son, jockey Craig Dwyer, score a long neck win on five-year-old mare Dreaming Diamonds ($17) in the XXXX Gold 4YO’s & Upward Maiden Handicap over 1250m.

“It has been a long wait for this win…21 starts,” Dwyer said.

The combination went close to having a winning double with nine-year-old gelding Dubai Dusk ($31), but for bad luck in missing the jump, then having to go right around the field with 800m to go.

It led into the straight only to be just pegged back by Taree eight-year-old gelding Wollartant ($9), trained on the track by Ross Stitt and ridden by Scott Thurlow, in the Mid Coast Automotive Group Benchmark 54 Handicap over 1400m.

Wollartant, coming back in distance and the really fit galloper in a long campaign, scored by a short half-head from Kempsey gelding Harvard Graduate ($5.50), with a neck to Dubai Dusk which was having its second run from a spell.

Port Macquarie jockey Peter Graham didn’t panic on Taree gelding Lunar De Hero ($8) when jockey Serg Lisnyy took short-priced favourite Gosford mare Hawaiian Rose to a six lengths lead mid-race in the Saxbys Soft Drinks Class 3 Handicap over 1600m.

He was mid-field at that stage and when the leader started to faulter, he had the last shot right on the winning post to score by a head from Hawkesbury gelding Spinning Dawn, the favourite wilting right out of the finish.

It was Lunar De Hero’s third win since Taree trainer Jim Delaney took over the former Melbourne galloper and he wasn’t trackside as he was in hospital having a knee operation.