The winning ride was compensation for apprentice Mollie Partridge who was fined $300 by stewards at Armidale last Saturday when she was found to be excessively over weight before the running of the final race.

Partridge put that behind her as she jumped Prince Mayted straight to the lead, dictated terms to suit then went to the line without being fully extended to win by a length from In A Wink (Robert Thompson).

"The horse was a bit fresh, it was his first run for nearly a month but it was a good win and gives an indication of his ability," trainer Colt Prosser said.

"He will go to the paddock but not for too long and that will give us plenty of time to get him ready."

The $100,000 Port Macquarie heat of The Championship will be run over 1200 metres on Friday, March 6 with the $300,000 final over 1400 metres at Randwick on April 4.

Three years ago Wayne Wilkes was training 60 horses, the majority for Patinak Farm's Nathan Tinkler and Serene Lodge's Les Tinkler.

Today, with the demise of Patinack, Wilkes has only nine in his stable and only two racing - Danseri which ran third in the Group Three Angst Stakes at Randwick two starts back and Awi Regal which finally broke through at start number 19 to win Monday's Stowe Australia Maiden (1506m).

"Danseri is helping keep a focus on the stable and a placing at Group level certainly helps," Wilkes said.

Two starts back Wilkes fitted ears muffs to Awi Regal and believes that helped towards her win.

"She can be a nervy mare so they have helped settle her," he said.

Port Macquarie apprentice Melinda Graham, who graduated with a degree in nutrition and dietetics at Newcastle University before coming home two years ago and announcing she wanted to be a jockey, landed her eighth winner when Sixty Paces won the Coca-Cola Class One (1006m).

Sixty Paces, trained by the apprentice's mother Jenny, has now won two races from six starts and was having her third run back from a spell.

"She is a really adaptable filly and that is why she is good for apprentices to ride," Graham said.

"There is a more improvement in her and we have to make sure we place her in the right races."

Last Friday Melinda Graham won the Krambach cup at Taree on Butane and will ride that horse in the Kempsey cup on Friday week, November 7.

The Neil Godbolt trained Delagos (Adam Nicholls) returned to form at his fourth run back from a spell when he came from a clear last early to win the Barrier Signs Benchmark 55 (1206m).

That followed a disappointing fifth at Coffs Harbour, a run that still has Godbolt puzzled.

"I thought he could win that race but he never let down," Godbolt said.

"Perhaps it was the travelling or perhaps he just likes it at home."

Two of the horse's four wins have been at Port Macquarie.

Leading country trainer Greg Bennett had his first starters at Port Macquarie in many years and left with two seconds but said he will be back - regularly.

"The track is a credit to the club and the staff and the drive from Scone is so much easier now that the Hunter Expressway is open," Bennett said.