TAREE trainer Robert Barnes posted a winning breeding double, one being among two racehorses given free to two women who had their first triumphs as trainers at Manning Valley Race Club's TAB meeting at Taree on Monday.
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Barnes bred and owns feature race winner seven-year-old Lobban Hood ($9), out of Jevali Lobban, whereas three-year-old gelding Lobban Leroy ($9.50), also from the same broodmare, was given to newcomer Taree trainer Carolie Burnett to launch her career, which she did in style.
"My first horse as a trainer and my first win with my first starter," Burnett said after the half-length win in the Tooheys Plate over 1000m.
Barnes gifted her the gelding as she needed a good horse to start training as he was handing in his owner's trainer's licence at the end of this season.
Burnett said the "adolescent child" was a big brute with strength.
"I can't believe this..it is a dream come true," she added after apprentice jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor led all the way on Lobban Leroy.
Barnes said the win was a great achievement as he had never trained a first start winner in his 20 years in the sport.
"She owns the saddlery in Taree and has been given tuition by local trainers "Pablo" Shultz and John McLachlan after taking out her licence in November," he said.
Lobban Hood, ridden by Grant Buckley, was midfield early before scorching down the outside for a just over a half-length win in the TAB Handicap over 1000m.
"She certainly got home good, Grant saying the addition of a tongue-tie made the difference.
"It looks as though she will have to have two or three more runs before I retire," Barnes said.
It was Lobban Hood's sixth win at start 42, five having been at Taree at the distance, and took her prizemoney to about $112,000.
The other galloper given away and providing its new trainer her first win was Komachi Force ($5), a two lengths winner for Gladstone trainer Jessica McCusker and apprentice jockey Mikayla Weir in the XXXX Gold Handicap over 2000m, it formerly being raced by Port's Tas Morton.
McCusker said the six-year-old mare deserved the win as she had been "trying her heart out".
Morton said McCusker strapped and worked with his stable horses and when she decided to be a trainer and he had to move horses on to make way for youngsters, he gave the mare to her as "she loves horses and really looks after them.
"I didn't want Komachi Force going to someone that was not guaranteed to look after her well."
Visiting trainers won the other four races with one of them named in honour of the late Gosford trainer John McNair who passed away with cancer last year.
It was Hay There McNair ($4.60), trained at Gosford by Greg McFarlane and ridden by Christian Reith, it scoring by 3.5 lengths in the TAB Handicap over 1600m.
Reith combined with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees to post a winning double on resuming Mr Piquet ($6) in the Kennards Hire Tree Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1250m.
Other winners were Excelsa ($3.50), trained at Newcastle by David Atkins and ridden by Amelia Denby, in the TAB Handicap over 1600m, and Devan ($3.40), trained by Adam Duggan and ridden by Andrew Gibbons, in the Iron Jack Handicap over 1000m.
NOTE: Racing returns to Taree for the Wingham Cup TAB meeting on June 5.
