Trevor Leonard prepares Cobla Stuie for Melbourne breeders Stewart and Gloria Shepherd and his wife Denise.

Three times Shannons Beach Boy attacked Cobla Stuie and three times he fought him off, Leonard said.

Dean Chapple drove Cobla Stuie and was also impressed by the gelding’s first race win.

“He should have won at Newcastle too,” Chapple said of what had been the gelding’s race debut.

“Couldn’t get a run down there. He’s a nice horse.”

Cobla Stuie has had just the two race starts for Leonard and he’s hoping he turns out like his half brother, Cobla Mickaroy, also bred and owned by the Shepherds.

“He (Cobla Stuie) is better bred than Cobla Mickaroy but he’s still green, green as grass.

“Ronny Neal has done so much work with him and Cobla Mickaroy. Had a lot of trouble with them both but he’s put so many hours into them.”

Leonard will check to see how Cobla Stuie pulls up before deciding on whether to continue with this preparation or spell him.

He does have Cobla Mickaroy in work too.

“He’s been in seven weeks, might start in early December,” he said of a gelding who has won six of his 11 starts.

Chapple then made it a double when Hollie Ohara beat Rough Patch by a neck in the New England Credit Union Pace (1980m).

Chapple led all the way.

“That’s not her go but today was the day to do it,” he said of a race run in heavy rain.

Chapple trains the four-year-old mare for a syndicate including Joe Cannon.

It was her first win in 13 starts. “When I first came up here Joe Cannon was one of the first people to give me a horse but that was the first winner I’ve trained for them,” he said.