The Rod Northam-trained four-year-old son of I Am Invincible clocked 56.39secs when he won the FSDP Open Handicap (1000m) by an easy two and half lengths from Raido with Opera Blu another length away third.

A $4.80 third favourite Sargent Doakes was just .05secs outside the Tamworth class record held by Horology (1996) and just under a second outside Maximian’s 2013 55.41 track record. 

It was a perfect return said jockey Leanne Henry.

“He nailed the start. Unbelievable he got there so easy and was just too good for them,” Henry said.

Opera Blu led into the Tamworth straight with Sargent Doakes just off him but the race turned into a one act affair as Henry asked the gelding to let down and the little four-year-old put his opposition away in a few short bounds.

“It was good. Didn’t think he’d do it that easy, it was super,” Northam said.

Northam had not trialled the gelding and given him just a couple of gallops in his lead-up.

“You don’t have to do too much with him. He keeps himself fit. And he had the nice little jump out on Friday. I just thought whatever he did today he’d improve on,” Northam said.

Lady Balladeer then won her third race in six starts when she popped her head between two rivals to win the Bath Stewart and Associates Class 2 Plate (1400m).

The Jane Clement-trained mare responded to Rachael Murray’s urgings to claim a nose win from Tim McIntosh’s Leave Ya Numba with Ken Tynan’s Eybea Danser a short half head away third.

It was Murray’s 31st winner of the Hunter and North West Racing Association season, and Clement’s 10^th.

She reckons Lady Balladeer might be the smartest mare around.

“She showed a lot as a young horse,” she said.

“We took her to Grafton for the big maiden. But she’s waited until the prizemoney to go up (now $20,000 per TAB race after being $10,000 just a few years ago) and won three. She didn’t like the wet tracks either and getting back on dry tracks.”

“That was a good win today. She was in between two horses, one laying in on her.”