A RAIL-hugging, cosy, ride by local apprentice jockey Georgina McDonnell on Port Macquarie's Mister Smartee ($13 to $5.50) paved the way to "at last" win the $34,000 Bakewell Haulage Krambach Cup (1600m) at Manning Valley Race Club's meeting on a heavy track at Taree.
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It was trainer Tas Morton's long desire to score in the cup after his seven-year-old gelding was beaten a half-length by Chamisal last year after running fourth with his O'Driscoll in the same race the year before.
It was the gelding's 8th win and took its prizemoney to more than $210,000 after it failed a vet's test when sold to Sydney trainer Chris Waller and was then given by the owner to Morton to try his luck.
After it failed in the Walcha Cup early this year, Morton gave the gelding a long spell and had ideas of retiring the galloper until former top Mid North Coast jockey Peter Graham commented how well Mister Smartee had spelled,then deciding on another campaign.
"She rode my horse a treat...she is a good,little rider," Morton said of McDonnell who had her second winning double in a week, the other at Port n Saturday.
She said Mister Smartee had problems but with carrying only 53kgs was able to wait well into the straight to make her move,scoring by more than two lengths from the $2.30 favourite, six-year-old Margie Bee,trained by Kristen Buchanan from Wyong , with about the same margin back to Taree's Party Host $7),trained by Joel and Wayne Wilkes.
The second and third galloper will probably now be aimed at the $100,000 Taree Gold Cup over 2000m on November 21.
McDonnell's other win was on three-year-old filly Vicky's One ($5.50), which scored by a half-length with a great finish for Taree trainer Glen Milligan in the Iron Jack Plate over 1250m.
The jockey owned up to following the wrong horse when beaten on the filly at its previous start but all was forgiven this time.
"I have been tough on her but she excelled today," Milligan said.
"I hope if the filly is good enough she could be a Country Championships galloper next year."
The meeting was an excellent one for Mid North Coast trainers and jockeys with a scattering of winning doubles.
The Party Host training duo were high flyers with two of their charges winning easily.
Four-year-old mare Austeja ($1.50), ridden by Jackson Searle, won by three lengths in the Horsepower Plate over 1250m and another apprentice Dylan Gibbons had 3.5 lengths to spare on the line with four-year-old mare Chase The Crown ($1.80) in the MCC USU Picnic Day Handicap over 1600m.
Wayne said Austeja was capable of gradually picking up speed in races whereas "We have had a big opinion of Chase The Crown from day one.''
Searle was also on three-year-old gelding Quick Tempo which made it three wins from three starts in the Haymans Electrical Taree Handicap over 1000m.
Dylan also had a win on first starter three-year-old gelding West Germany ($2,50) for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees in the Wingham Cellarbrations Plate over 1000m, a flashing second going to The Last Lobban ($61), trained at Taree by Graeme 'Pablo' Schultz.
Scone trainer Lou Mary made a rare visit to Taree and won with six-year-old gelding Shen Gui ($7.50), ridden by Port's Luke Rolls, in the XXXX Gold Handicap over 1400m.
Taree trainer Tony Ball had a big team of gallopers at the meeting and had an overdue win by a head with Standing Bear ($4.60), in the Bakewell Memorial Krambach Sprint over 1250m.
Ball had hoped to be racing in Sydney on Saturday with the horse but had some bad luck on the way and it didn't qualify.
He said the Lee Magorrian five-year-old gelding had done a good job this campaign in having four wins and six placings for nearly $100,000 prizemoney.
Racing returns to Taree on Melbourne Cup day.
