Damien Lane’s confidence in his filly Oakfield Gettem was warranted after the three-year-old scored an impressive win in the 1100m www.TAB.COM.AU Maiden Handicap.
Lane had predicted the filly would atone for her previous start at Gosford where she finished toward the rear of the field.
“I always knew she had ability and I think she could be pretty smart,” he said.
By Dream Ahead, Oakfield Gettem showed good gate speed to lead the small field from start to finish.
Jockey Tim Clarke rated the filly perfectly and she kicked away in the straight, fighting off challengers to win by more than a length.
“She was impressive today. We thought she’d do that at Gosford last start, but she knuckled down out of the gates and Grant Buckley said she frightened herself when that happened,” he said.
“She got her breathing out of whack, so we put the tongue tie on today.
“Timmy rode her really good. He got her to the front, rated her well and she showed a good kick.”
Lane said with time he expected the filly would get over more ground.
“I think she’s a filly with a bit of a future. When she learns to settle, she’s going to run 1200 to 1400m.
“It’s good to get a winner for Mr Mackenize, he puts a lot of horses into our stable.”
Oakfield Gettem ($10), raced by Bruce Mackenzie, defied a strong betting drift to beat the Godolphin runner Kattegat ($3.10), with Skillet ($4) from the Waller stable, third.
The filly has now had a win and second at Newcastle from three starts.
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It’s been a long time between winners for former champion jockey Malcolm Johnston, who finally broke a two-season drought to train Golden Creek to victory in the WRC MEMBERSHIP ONLY $55 4YO&UP Maiden.
It was the 2015/2016 season when Johnston last tasted success with two winners.
He trains a small team of horses from his Hawkesbury base, and relied on the services of his close friend jockey Corey Brown to pilot the four-year-old to victory.
Brown settled Golden Creek on the rails just behind the leaders before taking a gap on straightening and drawing away to score an impressive two and a half length win.
A $75,000 Magic Millions yearling purchase, Golden Creek has been racing consistently this preparation and was coming off a third at Hawkesbury on May 23.
Johnston, who was at the Wellington meeting with another runner, said it was the ideal race for Golden Creek and everything came together.
“His form has been pretty good of late and he ran into the right sort of maiden today.
“It was the perfect distance, a great ride by Corey and he just won. He was too good for them.
“Sometimes it happens like that which is great.”
Golden Creek beat the Perry trained High Flight ($4.40), with Dominica Rose ($3.70) from the Anthony Cummings stable, third.
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Brown made it a winning double when he partnered promising newcomer Pinvincible ($2.30) to victory in the 1350m WYONG JUNE 20 CG&E Class 2.
Trained by Tim Martin, the Pins gelding made the step up from maiden to class two in impressive style.
The three-year-old was sent out $2.30 favourite on the strength of his impressive Hawkesbury debut win on April 9.
Despite looking under pressure on the turn, the gelding responded to strong riding by Brown and pulled away on the line to win by more than a length.
Pinvincible was a $45,000 purchase from the New Zealand Select Yearling sales.
He looks to have a promising future on the strength of his first unblemished record after two starts.
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Debutant Spartan ($19) upset some of the more fancied runners to take out the 1350m DE BORTOLI WINES Maiden.
Trained by Gerald Ryan, the Olympic Glory two-year-old, hadn’t caught the eye in two recent trials, but responded to a good front running ride by James Innes Jnr to win by a long neck.
Ryan said despite the trials he had been confident the horse would run in the top three.
“I told the owners he’d be top three, and he proved me right,” he said.
“He wasn’t suited by the distance in his trials. He got back and ran on, but I knew he would be better over the 1350m.
“The plan today was to go forward and be up among the leaders and James rode him that way. We didn’t think there would be a lot of speed on and that’s the way it panned out.”
Ryan said Innes had ridden Spartan in his three trials, jump outs and track gallops.
“He can be a bit of a character and that’s why I wanted James on him today. He knows him well and rode to instructions.
“We gave $180,000 as a yearling and while he hasn’t grown a lot, I think he does have ability.
“The end goal is to get him up to around 1600m and that is where we will see him at his best.
“He isn’t city class yet, so I’ll look for another suitable provincial race.”
The outsider of the field, Under The Pump ($81) from the Perry stable, was second, with Deliya ($17) trained by John Sargent, third.
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Josh Parr proved why he is the punters favourite at Wyong with a clever ride securing victory for Killer Instinct in the 2100m OVER THE LINE RACING Class 1 & Maiden.
In what was a textbook Parr ride, he took off from near the rear of the field at around the 800m mark to put the Animal Kingdom filly in fifth spot just behind the leaders.
He took her to the front on straightening and was able to fight off a late challenge by Elaborate to secure a narrow victory.
Tom Charlton, representing the O’Shea stable, described Killer Instinct as a “progressive, staying filly.”
“She should be ready to make her mark in town now,” Charlton said.
“It was a good result of the team today. Josh rode her well.
“It was a pretty messy race and he had to make ground at a difficult time.”
Charlton said the filly, who was a $320,000 yearling, had suffered a setback following her Kembla run with cardiac arrythmia.
“Since then she has been really good. She was unlucky on that second start but the last two starts she has been really good.”
Parr agreed the filly had done a great job after he’d been forced to make two runs on her.
“It’s not easy for any class of horse to do that. I wasn’t happy with the horse I was following early and knew I had to do something about it around the 800m mark.
“Then I was able to sit off the leaders and make another run late in the race.
“She’s a progressive filly and really appreciated the distance.”
Elaborate ($4.80) from the Freedman stable was second, with the Waterhouse/Bott trained Elcano ($10), third.
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Apprentice Cejay Graham put on another good front running ride in the 1100m FAREWELL GARRY WHITAKER BENCHMARK 64 to secure victory for the Perry stable with Quick Nick ($11).
Graham, who recently transferred from Port Macquarie to the Snowden stable, brought up another provincial winner on the Choisir gelding.
She had partnered the three-year-old at his last start at Gosford when he finished last in a field of seven.
Nathan Perry, representing his father Paul, said it was a “peach of a ride,” by the young apprentice.
“Cejay rode him really well,” he said.
“She rated him well and got the job done. She let him come across and he gave a good kick and won well.
“He settled better today. She thought she dug him up too much at Gosford so didn’t do that today. It was a peach of a ride.”
It was the second Wyong win for Quick Nick in just over a month and Perry said they would have to look for another race for him on the track.
“He loves Wyong this fella,” he said.
Quick Nick, who brought up his fourth career win from 15 starts, beat the Lees trained Only Wanna Sing ($5), by a length and a half, with the $1.80 favourite Dame Kiri, trained by Allan Denham, a close third.
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A winning double to Jay Ford who took out the 1350m GREAT NORTHERN ON TAPE F&M Class 2 on Positive Peace ($11).
Ford sat just behind the leader throughout the race, taking the Stratum filly to the lead around the 100m mark, where she pushed on to score a tough win.
Trained by Bjorn Baker, Positive Peace, a $260,000 yearling, brought up her third win from six starts.
Stable foreman Jack Bruce was full of praise for the ride.
“It was a really good ride by Jay Ford to mark himself urgent and get to that position but then still conserve energy at stages and put her into the race at the right time,” Bruce said.
“It was a really well-judged ride and well deserved for this filly.”
Bruce said Positive Peace was an improving filly.
“She’s a filly that showed us a lot early but then had bad draws in her first couple of starts.
“She’s always needed time and Bjorn has done that with her which is good.
“She’s a well-bred filly that Steve Gillard brought for us so it’s good to get a win for him.”
The Tracey Bartley trained Joigney ($4.40), fought on strongly for second, with Press Review ($16) from the Waller stable, third.
Ford scored earlier in the day on the Brian Gentle trained Magic Town ($9.50), who took out the 1000m CANADIAN CLUB MAIDEN PLATE.
The Magnus gelding, trained at Orange, scored a tough debut win courtesy of a good ride by Jay Ford.
He settled the four-year-old gelding third and was able to run down the two leaders in the straight to score by a half-length.
Tell No Tales ($4.20), trained by Matthew Smith was a half-length behind in second, with Godolphin runner Caesura ($4), third.
