Ben Looker rode two horses to victory in Armidale Jockey Club’s Family Race Day.
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Looker’s first win came in race three aboard Stirling Osland-trained, Zarabeel.
The favourite heading into the race, the four-year-old stayed toward the back and hugged the fence early in the 1900 metres.
Looker waited to make his move in the final turn where he let the mare stride out past the competition to win by an impressive 10 lengths. It was the mare’s first win in her career and Osland said he knew she could come home fast but didn’t expect such a big margin.
She tends to run better from the back of the field, she is not the sort of horse with a lot of early speed but she will come home.
- Stirling Osland
"She has only come out here because we just wanted to get a win and she has been struggling to win around Brisbane, she has had 19 starts so it was not like you would expect her to come out and blow them away like that,” he said.
"She tends to run better from the back of the field, she is not the sort of horse with a lot of early speed but she will come home.”
Looker backed up his first victory with another clear win in the following race aboard Elegies.
His second win mirrored the first, staying close to the rail before letting the Rod Hilton-trained gelding make his move on the final turn to finish three lengths clear of Bob's A Dazzler.
The opener of the seven race program saw Tamworth trainer Leon Davies grab the victory with Hill of Tara.
The three-year-old filly headed out of the gates in the middle of the pack before making her move early on the home stretch.
She held the lead right through to the finish line.
A photo finish decided race two with Tess Wilkes-trained House of Tudor edging her nose out in front of Isadiva.
Coffs Harbour horse and race five favourite Fashion Model won easily over the 1300 metres.
Jockey Alison Threadwell steered the mare wide on the final stretch to finish three-and-a-half lengths ahead of Peter Cheers’ Swift Reply.
Grafton trainer Jason Reilly took out the sixth race with Classroom Destiny.
Kasie Stanley rode the gelding over the winning line just under a length ahead of Falvina.
Tamworth mare Alakai cruised over the line in the final race of the day for Jacob Perrett.