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By Graeme White

Trainer Graham Byatt has probably never had two last start winners among his small team of horses, but at Wagga on Friday he could again be a force with Lennox Road and Willybeafactor.

Byatt only trains four horses from his Wagga base and last week prepared Lennox Road ($6.50 on TAB) to win at Albury and Willybeafactor ($26) to a breakthrough victory at Wagga last Saturday.

It was Willybeafactor’s first win for Byatt and the second of the horse’s career, while the consistent Lennox Road has won four times for him.

Wagga-based trainer Graham Byatt. Image by Bradley Photographers

Lennox Road will start in the Raine & Horne Wagga Wagga Benchmark 58 (1000m), while Willybeafactor has gained a run as an emergency in the Bruce McMah Class 2 (1200m).

Byatt was delighted to land two winners in quick succession and hopes it continues on Friday.

He prepares Lennox Road for himself and members of the Albury Thunder rugby league team in Group Nine, while Willybeafactor is raced by a large syndicate.

Lennox Road will again be ridden by 2kg-claiming apprentice Amy McLucas, while Brad Vale will be aboard Willybeafactor.

“I only train a few at the moment so to have two winners so close together was good,” he said.

Lennox Road rarely misses finishing in the top placings and Byatt believes the reliable gelding can again be competitive in a similar graded field to his last win.

The seven-year-old hasn’t finished further back than fifth in his past 11 starts.

“He is getting up in age, but still racing very consistently,” he said. “I think he will improve fitness-wise from the start last week and come out and run a strong 1000 metres.

“The rain we have had will soften the track and definitely help his chances.”

Lennox Road is a true story of perseverance and faith. It took more than two years to nurse him back to racing after the horse fractured a hock and recovered between January 2017, and July 2019. Later that year he won his maiden at Tumut and has produced strong and consistent performances since.

“He is lucky to be racing because it took a long time to get him right,” Byatt said.

The trainer believes Lennox Road’s biggest asset is his early speed to take up a position where he “does prefer to cross and be close to the fence”

“He has shown if he gets back he can still find the line strongly, but his preference is the lead or be right there,” he said.

Meanwhile, odds of a massive $101 were on offer about Thuwaany ($12) last time out but there will be no such price on Friday when she races against Lennox Road. The mare ran the race of her life when second behind Splendiferous in the Queen Of The South at the Wagga Cup carnival.

The in-form Temoin Chaud ($5.50) - a winner of four of her 11 starts – finished third and will start in the final race on Friday.

Thuwaany took a long time to win a race – 15 starts in fact – but won three in succession last preparation and her recent form has been consistent. Trainer Chris Heywood expects Thuwaany to run up to her last start effort and believes her chances will be enhanced by recent rain.

“The distance is short of her best, but she needs this start and may race again at Wagga next Friday,” he said. “Her last run didn’t surprise me because she has the ability.

"The secret is to keep her fresh and not overdo it with her in training.”

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Scone here