Taree trainer Bob Milligan sprung a surprise with Valley's Sister ($26) easily beating the boom $1.60 favourite, Newcastle's False Step, at Manning Valley Race Club's TAB meeting at Taree on Monday.
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Milligan's son, Glen, said: "It is nice to beat the Kris Lees stable for a change."
Valley's Sister was always showing the field a clean pair of heels in the feature Ironhorse Global Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1412m for fillies and mares, the win bringing back memories of half-sister Another Valley.
The latter won the MNCRA's heat of the Country Championships and then was fourth in the final in 2016. The mare had 30 starts for four wins and five placings for prizemoney of $161,000 before being retired.
The Milligan family, relatives,friends, including prolific stable racehorse owner, Dr Peter Braude, were apparently reasonably confident about the chances of Valley's Sister after an improved run previously at Port Macquarie and that districts leading apprentice jockey Cejay Graham never let them down.
"Our mare doesn't cop a quick back-up and this was her fourth run back from a spell at her 24th start to register its second win...we kept her fresh as some times she is a hot-head," Glen said.
False Step had won its first and only start, was given every chance from fourth early whereas last start winners Taree's Don't Tell Dion (seventh) and Kempsey's Anatolian Charm (10th) just battled, Lees stable jockey, in form Aaron Bullock, had a mixed day with favourites but still finished with a winning double on scratched from Scone races the same day, three-year-old gelding Alastor ($2.40) for Lees in the Iron Jack Mid Handicap over 1312m and promising Rejinsky ($1.85) for Gosford trainer Grant Allard in the XXXX Gold Handicap over 1007m.
Alastor had a neck to spare over Wyong trainer Kim Waugh's Right Bower whereas Rejinsky could have won by more than its 4.5 lengths margin.
"He is a big, strong horse (by Redoute's Choice) and very professional," Allard said. "I think he could be a group horse ...he should have gone to the Guineas except for having a lot of injuries."
Waugh had better luck with three-year-old filly Pink Beau ($4.80), ridden by Serg Lisnyy, which was given a beautiful trail to score by a half-length from Port's Deep Dream, trained by Allan Kehoe, which tried to lead all the way. The soft 5 track favoured leaders and the two which were in first and second all the way finished with the quinella in the TAB.com.au Benchmark 58 over 1412m.
Jockey Robert Thompson came from second to win for Cessnock's Jeremy Sylvester on Duke's County ($8.50) from Forged In Stone ($4.40).