He felt the seven-year-old gelding in notching its eighth win in 29 starts had shown enough to warrant consideration for the race for country gallopers on the same day as the $14million The Everest.

"He is a good horse and it is only his pattern of racing that gets him into trouble sometimes," he said

Shelton was happy that Port Macquarie jockey Ben Looker was able to get the gelding from a held-up position to show its worth.

Tarbert ($4.60) grabbed the lead late to score by a neck in the fifth running of the cup over 1200m.

Looker said there was a bit of a bumping duel to get clear but the gelding showed his worth over the last 600m of the 1400m race.

"John is like a father to me after I did my early riding with him and a start in the big race is warranted."

A plunge on runner-up, Subtle Grey ($8.50 to $3.20), trained on the track by Wayne Wilkes, just failed with Port's Kempsey winner, Mister Smartee ($8.50) battling on well for third, just in front of the unlucky Editors ($13), trained at Taree by Ross Stitt.

Looker said it was "a good problem to have" for Shelton in determining Tarbert's future racing.

Wilkes had better luck prior to this race when four-year-old gelding Storm Attack ($2.80), ridden by Andrew Gibbons, led all the way to land some nice bets for followers in the Taree Volkswagen Class 2 Handicap over 1400m.

"This horse has plenty of ability," Wilkes said before Gibbons chimed in to say that it "does a lot wrong" in its races.

Newcastle jockeys Aaron Bullock with three wins and Samantha Clenton with two took the riding honours.

It was Clenton who kicked off the winning spree on second-starter four-year-old mare Mummentum ($3), trained at Newcastle by Kris Lees, in the R&L Refrigeration F & M Maiden Plate over 1250m.

The mare was three-wide coming to the turn, then made up about six length in the last 100m to score by 1.25 lengths in a good effort.

Clenton sat off the pace early and had no trouble in scoring by 1.75 lengths on three-year-old filly Fanciful Dream ($2.15) for Newcastle trainer Paul Perry in the Taree Leagues Sports Club Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m, the last race on the card.

Bullock kicked of his winning streak on five-year-old Coffs Harbour gelding Ambitious Prince ($3), trained by Warren Gavenlock, in the Eddies Fresh Chickens Benchmark 58 Handicap over 2000m.

It was the gelding's first win at the distance but didn't surprise the trainer as his galloper relaxed in the run and he had built up its race distances.

Bullock and Gosford trainer Nick Mitchell combined to make it two wins in a row at Taree with four-year-old gelding Rambler Rebel ($4.20) which in scoring by 2.5 lengths broke a 2001 class record in the Treasury Wines Class 1 Handicap over 1000m.

The jockey made it three wins on end in a 1.3 lengths victory on his former master Todd Howlett's gelding Sir Leo ($2.50) in the Mercedes AMG Class 1 & Maiden Plate over 1600m.

"This horse is a big, dumb bugger...he's still learning," Bullock said.

Port trainer Neil Godbolt had a welcome return to the winner's stall, albeit by a nose, with four-year-old gelding Alshahhad ($9.50), ridden by Christian Reith, in the Hicks Business Services C&G Maiden Handicap over 1250m.

"It is nice to have a change of luck," Godbolt said of the former Melbourne galloper bought off line for $1000 after it had a wind operation.