Pixie Miss started things off, winning the Howard Coaches F&M Benchmark 50 Handicap (1450m).

It was the five-year-old’s first win since April.

She’s been thereabouts since and ran third at Quirindi back in November.

“She always runs an honest race,” Grills said.

She just hasn’t had much luck.

Yesterday Sophie Young tucked her in third for most of the journey.

“She went to the lead a furlong out and went to the line well,” Grills said.

She finished two lengths clear of last-start winner at Quirindi, Cara Donna (Ron Buckpitt), with Scott Thompson’s October Magic another three lengths back third.

Grills said there wasn’t really any grand plan for the race and said she might look at a race on Glen Innes Cup day for her next.

“We’ll see what suits her,” she said.

Grills and Young teamed up again two races later to win the Cactus Wilson Memorial Class 1 Handicap (1100m) with Tennavous.

“It was a good win,” Grills said.

“She drew barrier one and basically led all the way and kicked away strongly in the straight.”

She finished a one-and-a-half length winner over Sutton Delta (Luke Griffith) with Raasay Rose (Dean McHardie) a length-and-three-quarters back third.

It was her first run back from a three-month spell.

“I put blinkers on her today,” Grills said.

That seemed to work out well.

Grills’s interest was split yesterday.

She also had Ochremani racing  at Inverell in the Print Fresh/Arthur Flitcroft Memorial Maiden Plate (1200m).

He ran a good race to finish second behind John Hine’s Beau In Chains.

“I was very happy with that,” Grills said. “They said he ran a good race.”