JENNY Graham will send Sixty Paces to the paddock then bring her back for the local heat of The Country Championships in March following her all the way win at Port Macquarie on Tuesday.
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Sixty Paces, ridden by apprentice Melinda Graham, jumped straight to the lead in the Wauchope Country Club Benchmark 55 (1100m) and went on to win by a length in smart time from the Hawkesbury trained favourite Sianara (Claire Nutman).
It was Sixty Paces’ first run since winning here on October 27 and Graham believes that spacing the filly’s races is the key to her.
“I was a little concerned about the gap between races and that’s why I trialled her after the last meeting here,” Graham said.
“However it seems that spacing her runs is the key to her.
“The Championship is a race we definitely have to target after that win.
“She went up sharply in weight on her previous win although in this race she was racing against her own sex.
“However it was still an impressive win.”
The $100,000 Port Macquarie heat of the Championship, over 1200 metres, will be run on March 6.
John Sprague put down his paint brush and hurried to the race course, arriving just in time to saddle up Cavell and watch the stylish grey filly win the Port Macquarie City Bowling Club Maiden (1500m).
It was Sprague’s first winner since early September when Still My Friend won here but he hopes the win by Cavell will see things change.
“It has been quiet as far as winners are concerned and that’s why I picked up the paint brushes again,” Sprague said.
“However there has been plenty of work going on in the stable with the young horses.”
Sprague said it was the enthusiasm that Peter Graham has for Cavell that inspired him.
“She is the first horse Peter rides each morning and he kept telling me that she was a nice horse and would win races,” Sprague said.
“When you hear those sort of things it gives you confidence.
”That was only her sixth start and both Peter and I think she will get more ground so I will probably step her up next start.”
Graham settled Cavell in third place early then let her drift back to fifth at the 800 metres.
On the point of the turn he gained a split then set out after the leaders before going on to win by a length from Green Energy.
Hawkesbury trainer Garry Frazer sent four horses to the meeting and is likely to become a regular following the win by Dane Ruby in the Lake Cathie Bowling and Recreation Club Maiden (1200m) courtesy of a brilliant ride by provincial apprentice Claire Nutman.
She had the horse over from the outside barrier to be racing on the fence then gained an inside run at the top of the straight to go on and win, beating the Marc Quinn trained Zinging which looked the winner half way down the straight.
Frazer’s son and foreman, Jordan, said the new highway made Port Macquarie another option for the stable.
“More and more of the big city stables are sending horses to Goulburn and Bathurst, meetings we used to target, so we have to look further afield,” he said.
“It only took me four and a half hours and it’s an easy run so no doubt we will be back, probably quite regularly.”
Wyong trainer Les Tilley plans to be back with Alpresto on December 15 after the grey’s second successive win in the Laurieton United Services Club Benchmark 50 (2000).
Earlier this month he won a class one here over a similar distance.
“There is another 2000 metre race here next month, the horse likes the track and so do I,” Tilley said.
Earlier the Tilley trained Marty’s Order (Samantha Clenton) won the Port Macquarie Golf Club Maiden (1200) to give him his second winning double at successive Port Macquarie meetings.