Purely to help the club he started, Perlaact, a noted middle-distance galloper and a horse that had not won since scoring over 1750m at Muswellbrook in July last year.

“Perlaact was the only horse I had ready to race and the cup was the only race that suited him,” Drury said.

“I thought it would be too short for him and that they would go so quickly he would be running last early but at least I would have a runner.”

Perlaact, ridden by Marlon Dolendo, was indeed last early but when he picked up the bit he came so fast down the outside of the track that he won the cup by three and a half lengths and left Drury speechless.

“I never had a dollar on him,” Drury said.

“However he does race well fresh and he did run in to trouble at his previous start.

“Dale Spriggs, who rode him in that race, said it was a far better run than it looked.

“Just the same, I thought they would be too smart in this race and that it would be a nice lead up to something a bit longer.

“He is a bad legged horse and I have to be careful with him but he will be stepped up in distance now.

“I would love to find a longer race at Muswellbrook. He loves that track. He has won two races there.”

The finish of the race was a whitewash for punters with Perlaact, unwanted in betting at $31, beating Long Journey Home ($9) with Koi Fish ($31) a further half-head away third.

The opinion that Tuncurry trainer Terry Evans has of Mah Baker was justified when she led for most of the trip to win the Coopernook Fishing and VIP Club Maiden (1000m).

“I have always had an opinion of her,” Evans said.

“She ran a good race on debut then pulled up shin sore at her next start so I tipped her out for a good break. She was a bit unlucky at her first run back at Bowraville but this win really shows what she is capable of.

 “She will have her next start at Tuncurry in the country plate.”

 That will be at the meeting at Tuncurry on Saturday, March 2 where the feature is the $12,500 Tuncurry Forster Cup (2100m).