Not only did he get to make the acceptance speech when Border Flight saluted in the Cup, but he also led in Victory Lass after her success in the Deepwater Inn Benchmark 45 Handicap. 

The win was Victory Lass’s second success from 16 starts and the four-year-old had a comfortable margin of 2.75 lengths over From The Valley, trained by Lea Selby at Armidale with a further 1.5 lengths to Yammananna (Darren Jones) from Robert Knight’s Armidale stables.

“The track conditions were a big question mark for us,” said Grills in reference to the 20mm of rain that fell overnight and produced a track rating of Soft 7.

“The instructions to Sophie (Young) were to be handy in running but not lead and she rode it perfectly, especially because it was her first ride for the day.

“Victory Lass has been a bit disappointing and hasn’t come up to expectations. 

“I hope that’s the monkey off her back now but we’ll keep her in similar company until she starts to improve.”

Deepwater’s final race was a perfect example of how soon disappointment can follow success in the racing game.

Cartel Queen, part-owned and trained by Stephen Bennett at Casino, scored a game three quarter length victory in the Elders Glen Innes Country Clas 1 Plate over 1600 metres from Aiming High (Julie Weidemann, Clifton) with 1.5 lengths back to third-placed Defrost (Darren Jones for Julie Hodder of Grafton). 

But jockey Kasie Stanley pulled the horse up soon after the winning post and hastily dismounted as the course vet arrived on the scene. Cartel Queen was noticeably favouring a front fetlock and later humanely destroyed.

For the Grills stable, the double was a welcome result.

While  Young had encountered a lean period over the past months, Sue Grills, who was in Sydney with Showmore for Saturday’s Highway handicap, had also been having a dry run.

“Deepwater was very good,” she said.

“About time. 

“We hadn’t had a winner for a while either but not quite as long as Soph.”

She has now spelled Showmore after her tough run at Randwick in the wet, with Military Duker her only runner at Scone tomorrow.

“He should run a nice race,” she said.

“He’s drawn eight but it’s always tough down there.

“You get a lot of the big stables from Newcastle and Sydney there now. 

“It will be hard to beat the Perry horse.”

She has also nominated talented but green Jonathan at Scone but will take him to Grafton on Sunday with Couperin, who has done well since a good second to recent Muswellbrook winner Slippery Eel at Inverell on Inverell Cup day.