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By Geoff Newling

RACE 1: DANISHKI held on to deny favourite Miss Kyeema for a narrow and ironic victory at Tamworth in today’s $20,000 TAB.com.au Maiden Handicap (1400m). The Warren Gavenlock-trained four-year-old mare scored a short head victory over the Kris Lees-trained filly to notch her first win in 12 starts. Danishki is trained at Coffs Harbour by her former Armidale horseman and was originally trained by Kris Lees, Warren Gavenlock said. “Kris trained her originally but Peter Colley (one of warren Gavenlock’s good owners) bought her off the auction site,” Warren Gavenlock said. “She’s always shown a bit of ability from her early stages with us. She ran second at Coffs and was unfortunate.” Gavenlock moved to Coffs Harbour about six months ago and had intended to train a dozen but ended up with 20. “That was a few too many but we’ve sorted a few out and we’re back to about 12 now,” he said. “That’s manageable.“ Ray Spokes, who rode Danishki, rides a lot of work for Gavenlock and feels there are a few more wins in store for Danishki, a daughter of Not A Single Doubt. “She got the job done,” Ray Spokes said. “She got to the front a bit to early but didn’t lie down. She’s still green and getting her head up.” Warren Gavenlock said the dawdling pace wasn’t ideal. “Ray did a good job to hold her up after they dawdled,” he said. He also has Miss Vegas in Race 2 at Tamworth and said “she is a work in progress”. “She’s been a little bit disappointing but is going to be a nice horse,” he said of the four-year-old daughter of Oh So Frisky before she pounced on favourite, Classy Anna, to win the Tamworth City Toyota Maiden Plate (1000m). Miss Vegas stopped the clock at 57.07secs to win at her third start. “She’s always showed us a ton of ability,” Warren Gavenlock said. ‘Her last start (9th at Grafton) wasn’t all that bad. We just tinkered with some gear and she showed up today. Travelled over well too.” She is also owned by Peter Colley and showed such promise they thought she might win on her debut at Coffs in July. However they have had to wait two starts later to snare. “It’s been a good few days,” Warren Gavenlock said. “Had a good winner at the Ballina Cup meeting with Hard Merchandise wining a $30,000 Showcase Handicap last Thursday and now this double.” He said Miss Vegas was always going to the paddock regardless of today’s result “and will probably still go”. “With Danishki we will probably have a look at the program and she could also go for a spell too,” he said.

RACE 3: KENNIE Colleen surged late to win the $20,000 Advanced Inland Security Maiden Handicap (1200m) for her Wyong trainer. The four-year-old daughter of Haradasun ran down leader Shiver Me Timbers to beat second-placed Zaze by a long head with Sue Grills’ Shiver Me Timbers a half neck away third. Tina Williams trains Kennie Colleen at Wyong and was delighted with the mare, who was having just her third start. “She is difficult to train,” Tina Williams admitted. “She is a lovely little mare but you can’t do much with her, trainer her out of a paddock.” She has been difficult from “day one” she said. And Grant Buckley reiterated that after navigating a winning course. “She was still a bit green down the running,” he said. “She is promising but can be a little bit of a handful.” For Tina Williams the win was a nice return. “I trained the first winner here at Tamworth after their new track upgrade,” she said while also advising it was Grant Buckley’s first win for her. She also returned to Wyong on Tuesday where her stable will be doubled tomorrow with the addition of a young juvenile to give her two horses. Tina also works behind the barrier stalls on racedays at the provincials and will be one of the clerks of the course at Friday’s Newcastle Cup meeting.

RACE 4: APOCALYPTIC Fun cost just $4000 but repaid his new owners almost threefold at Tamworth. The Colt Prosser-trained gelding son of Domesday cruised to a two length win from the Sue Grills-trained Drawn To You to win the $20,000 Thread Effects Class 1 and Maiden Plate (1600m). The five-year-old Wauchope gelding has had just 14 starts and was having his third start for Prosser since buying him off an online auction. Highway handicaps are Prosser’s aim. “There’s one over 1500m in 10 or 12 days at Rosehill,” Colt Prosser said. “Might run in that but there’s another 2000m as well.” 2000m is where his future lies too, the young Wauchope horseman said. “He had a couple runs over 1200m for me and we stepped him up to a mile today, that was more suitable. But he will run 2000m for sure.” He said Apocalyptic Fun’s work has been impressive and he was “crying out” for the 1600m.

RACE 5: SUBTLE Winner became a three-time winner when the Scone mare snared a third successive win in the $20,000 FSDP Benchmark 70 Handicap (1600m) at Tamworth. The Brett Cavanough-trained daughter of Casino Prince was having just her 11th but the lightly raced seven-year-old won in professional manner after Grant Buckley gave her the run of the race. Buckley had the Scone mare well positioned in behind the pace and pulled out to make a winning run rounding the turn. In the end she won by a half length from the Shane Edmonds-trained Maybe Even You with Mark Hatch’s Collins Street a length away third. It was her third win in 11 starts, her first having been a maiden at Tamworth on Friday, August 11. She followed that with a victory at Gunnedah on Cup day and franked that again today. Stable foreman, Steph Alexander, said subtle winner might be an older horse but had “let down well”. “We always thought she would run well with a little racing,” she said. Grant Buckley rode Subtle winner when she won her maiden and has seen her step up at her next two outings in fine and victorious fashion. “She was up in distance but down in weight today,” he said. “She had the right run.” Steph Alexander isn’t sure whether Subtle Winner will continue racing or head to the breeding barn.

RACE 6: THREE Hats might be turning into a handy horse after a narrow win in the $20,000 Shay Brennan Constructions Benchmark 62 Handicap (1000m) at Tamworth. The Allan Kehoe-trained gelding son of Sebring finished strongly to beat Jane Clement’s Rosetta’s Comet by a half head while the Greg Drury-trained Hebrides Maneuver was a half length away third. Wyong-trained Three Hats ran the 1000m sprint in 57.36secs to claim his third win in 13 starts. Jeff Kehoe, brother of trainer Allan Kehoe, describes three Hats as a bit of a rogue and “a bit hard to ride”. “But my brother has got him going really well,” Jeff Kehoe said after the win. “I think there’s a lot more to come. He’s been racing in stronger company too and had the blinkers back on today and di race well. He had to carry a big weight as well. so it was a good team effort.” Apprentice Jackson Murphy claimed 1.5kg off his 60kg to make it a good day for the Kehoe stable. “We had three runners today, a first and a second,” Jeff Kehoe said. “The one earlier I rode (Zaze) should have won but that’s racing. Good to come up here and win one.”

RACE 7: ANECDOTE gave returning jockey Aaron Bullock something to savour when they combined to win today’s $20,000 Goodwin Kenny Spring Cup (1200m) at Tamworth. The Ben Smith-trained gelding son of Lonhro responded to Bullock’s urging to beat Skylimit by a length with Hammoon Boy, who had also run third in the Tamworth Cup, another length away third in the feature race. Professor Marx had threatened to take a hand on straightening but his run came to an end as Bullock got to work on Anecdote and drive him to an eighth career win at his 31st start. Bullock, 26, had winter off and today’s Spring Cup ride was his first ride back from a self-enforced spell to have his body fit and healthy. “I was going to return at Taree but the boys (Ben and Daniel Smith) got me to ride him,” he pointed to seven-year-old Anecdote. “Got to thank Ben for the ride. Gee it’s good to be back. That’s a great feeling, haven’t had it for a while.” He said Anecdote “pulled him along” but he was able to restrain well enough without being too forceful.” Daniel Smith, brother of Ben Smith and stable foreman, said Anecdote “is a nice horse”. “He keeps turning up for you. It was a great ride by Aaron and he had to work hard but I wouldn’t mind having a heart like that. He kept on pulling out punches like that with a big weight. He’s getting better as he gets older.” Daniel Smith said Anecdote could be headed for a spell now while stable star, In Her Time, is preparing for some more Group racing this Spring by trialling next Tuesday at Rosehill.

RACE 8: ADVANTAGE continued to step up and enthuse his trainer with a comprehensive win in the $20,000 Corey’s Catering Class 1 Handicap (1200m) at Tamworth. Paul Messara prepares the five-year-old gelding son of Charge Forward at Scone and it is Scone where the talented sprinter may well appear next after his two and a half length win over Stephen Gleeson’s Schindler with the George Woodward-trained Smokey Eye a length and three quarter away third. Advantage debuted at Quirindi with a second to Kabelo but then won his maiden at Tamworth on August 29 before Tuesday’s win. His second win was even better than his two length maiden success, Paul Messara said. “Fantastic, a great effort,” he enthused after the brilliant win. “He has just taken natural improvement.” Advantage is also a “nice type” and one of great promise who fills Messara with plenty of hope for a bright future. That future could be at Scone. “Probably scone in two weeks,” Paul Messara said in question to where he is headed next. He said a lot of self-inflicted injuries has meant Advantage has taken a long time to finally reach the track. One person delighted with his continuing and improving form is Newcastle-based jockey Luke Cumberland. “I’ve ridden him in all three starts,’ he confirmed. “That was good today, he’s shown great natural progression.” Cumberland,36, also liked his second win of the new Hunter and North West Racing Association season at Tamworth as well. “I had my first ride here as an apprentice,” he said as he headed to the scales to weigh out.

View the full results with race replays for Tamworth here