JOCKEY Ashley Morgan grabbed a winning double on gallopers with their share of ability for Wyong trainer Nathan Doyle and Jenny Graham from Port Macquarie at Manning Valley Race Club's meeting on a heavy-rated track at Taree on Tuesday.
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Doyle thought so highly of his five-year-old mare Dreaming Of Gold ($6.50) that he started her in qualifiers for the $500,000 Provincial Championships at Hawkesbury (6th, beaten 1.66 lengths) and Newcastle (8th, four lengths).
He knew she had another win in her by dropping back to country class and she justified his optimism in scoring narrowly from Gosford's Emperor Harada ($6.50) in the feature Mid Coast Automotive Group Handicap over 1400m despite giving away up to 8kgs to her opposition.
All of her four wins have been on rain-affected tracks, she also being runner-up six times in 16 starts.
"Dropping back in grade did the job," Doyle said, his jockey also agreeing that the drop in class helped.
The trainer said: "We wanted to lead but others were there.
"She hit the front and then pulled up," he said of her antics, but that was on the finishing line.
Graham's three-year-old filly Nicci Trix ($1.70) justified her short quote and made it three wins from her past five starts by leading all the way for Morgan and scoring easily by 2.5 lengths in the Eddies Fresh Chickens Handicap over 1000m.
"Once she was in rhythm she found the lead and fence and let down lovely," Graham said.
She said the filly was a "bit nervy" type but had improved with travelling.
"That's her today...she will improve heaps," Morgan said.
The confidence in Taree four-year-old mare Atlantic Lite ($16) by previous local trainer Ross Dawson was borne out with her leading all the way for a dominant 3.6 lengths win for new local trainer Matthew Robinson and jockey Luke Rolls in the Royal Hotel Taree Handicap over 1250m.
Dawson confided to me that he believed she was Country Championship class after the filly beat Taree trainer Ross Stitt's Casirina over 1400m at Taree on January 29.
But before he could find out she was transferred to Robinson who said after the latest win: "She came over in good order from Ross Dawson."
It was Robinson's second win for the season. He noted that the tide for winners may be turning.
Rolls said the mare travelled lovely with no weight on her back and "proved too strong."
He also had a winning double, returning to scale again with clean silks after Wyong four-year-old gelding Telfer ($41) led to score by 1.5 lengths from Newcastle $1.55 pop Lovetheinvasion for trainer Jeff Englebrecht in the Stacks Law Firm Handicap over 1600m.
Gosford trainer Adam Duggan and regular Mid Coast winning jockey Andrew Gibbons combined to win with three-year-old gelding Deora in the Johnson and Mongan Plate over 1250m.
Duggan said his galloper was impressive over the last 100m and being only young had plenty of upside.
Wyong trainer John Cooper made a rare visit to Taree to forge a win with jockey Grant Buckley, his five-year-old gelding Done Good ($7.50) scoring by just over a half-length in the GPB Partners Handicap over 1600m.
A determined, strong ride by Mikayla Weir paved the way for five-year-old gelding Mr Magsman ($3.60) landing a half-length win in the Heritage Financial Plan Handicap over 1400m for her former master Todd Howlett.
"She kept at him and he kept coming.
"He's headstrong but he will settle down," the trainer said.
"He is a work in progress," was how Weir saw it.