But she knew the five-year-old gelding was, as jockey Chris Williams told her after his win at Quirindi on Friday, “a serious race horse”.

At one stage it looked like Beauty Best, a son of Shellscrape, might not race again after being sent to Hong Kong.

“He didn’t start in Hong Kong,” O’Gorman said after he won the John “Mouse” Sinclair Day June 12 Class 3 Handicap (1100m) by a length from Come Home Michael.

It was the gelding’s fourth win in seven starts but his first since winning at Bathurst in February 2016.

“He went lame over there [Hong Kong] and they didn’t think he’d ever race again,” O’Gorman said.

On returning to Australia he was sent to O’Gorman at her Tamworth base at Erin Park Stud and spent several months in a paddock under the care of local farrier Steve Sutherland.

“Steve worked on his feet,” O’Gorman said. “Then one day I saw him cantering around, bucking around.”

That signalled his return to racing and another preparation that bore fruit on Friday when he came from well back to win.

After notching his second win for the day, Williams said: “That was a hard run but he won with authority.”

Williams had won aboard I Am Special earlier in the day for Newcastle trainer Ben Smith.

Newcastle’s David Atkins also won the second race with Keemon while Armidale’s Stirling Osland celebrated a good win with First Family.

Andrew Gibbons, who partnered Keemon, also made it a double when he won aboard Craig Martin’s Fast Arli.

The little four-year-old mare arrived late to snare the Quirindi Auto Electrical Benchmark 55 Handicap (1200m), her third success in 22 stars for her Tamworth trainer.

“She’s been unlucky, was unlucky last start,” Martin said.

Another Tamworth trainer, Craig Clegg, also had success when Blinkin Legend won the Liverpool Plains F&M Maiden Plate (1200m), with Todd Howlett’s Kirri Lia edging out Gavin Groth’s Bring The Joy for second.

“You only had to look at her last run,” Clegg said of a four-length 11th of 14 to Peloso Lass at Tamworth on Cup day.

“Peter Graham came back and said she should have finished second at least. She did the job though today. Great to win for Errol [French].

“Errol bought her at the magic Millions on the Gold Coast and Ricky Hopf broke her in at home [Kootingal]. She’s run a couple of good races at different times. Errol has been real good to me too. I’ve got four [nine in work) for him at the moment.”

Hunter and North West Racing heads to Muswellbrook on Monday, with the Moree Picnic Cup meeting on Saturday and the Gunnedah Cup meeting on Sunday.

Nominations for Moree close 11am Monday, and nominations for Gunnedah’s big Cup meeting close 11am Tuesday.

The Quirindi Jockey Club’s next meeting is the big Willow Tree Cup on June 12.