NEWCASTLE trainer Ken Noble kept his promise to his eight-year-old daughter Taylor when he told her she could have the day off from school and go to the races with him when Silent Predator was ready to win.
Yesterday she took the day off from Year 3 at Newcastle’s Corpus Christie primary school and accompanied her father to Muswellbrook.
Silent Predator and jockey Scott Thurlow did the rest, scoring a tough win in the Darley Benchmark 55 (1280m).
“I have trained this horse for most of his career and when he came on the market I bought him,” Noble said.
“Essentially he is Taylor’s horse and she get so much pleasure out of looking after him.
“She takes him for a walk every afternoon and while he plays up for other people he follows her like a puppy.
“She just loves him.”
Silent Predator was trapped wide early so Thurlow sent him forward to take up the lead and he was never headed after that to win by half a length.
“That was a tough win,” Thurlow said.
Taylor was jumping with excitement after the win and was then presented with the winner’s sash.
“I will have something really good for show and tell at school tomorrow,” she said.
The Newcastle trained Mostly Matisse, an impressive winner of the HTBA Maiden (1450m) may back up in the Class One and Maiden (1750m) at Muswellbrook next Tuesday.
Trainer John Deamer said the three year old would be nominated and he would decide over the weekend whether to run her.
“I will wait and see how she pulls up,” Deamer said.
“She is hard fit and provided she has taken no harm from the run I will probably run her.
“Robert (Thompson) said she would have no trouble getting over a bit more ground.”
Thompson had Mostly Matisse over from her wide barrier and running third, one horse off the fence, approaching the turn.
She hit the lead soon after straightening to go on and win by half a length from the Kris Lees trained Nalani.
The fears of Quirindi trainer Scott Thompson proved unfounded when Golotto, ridden by Hawkesbury apprentice Claire Nutman, handled the 1500 metres with ease to win the Two Rivers Wines Benchmark 60 (1500m).
“I was a bit worried about the 1500 metres but he made it look easy,” Thompson said.
“That was a great ride by Claire.
“I wanted an apprentice that could claim 3kg and I had heard good things about Claire plus she had been recommended to me.”
Nutman won the start on Golotto but let him drift back to fifth on the fence until approaching the turn.
She pushed him along the fence in the straight to take the lead and go on and win by one and a quarter lengths from the well backed Siegel.