Matthew Paget produced the killer blow to win the $10,000 Les Howard Willow Tree Cup (1600m) at Quirindi on Saturday.
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Paget steered a winning course for Killer Miller to surge through the middle of the pack and claim a length-and-half win over Scott Thompson’s Wantabearomeo, with John McLachlan’s Emvepee a head away in third place.
Killer Miller is trained at Gulgong by Brett Thompson and had won just the one race in 21 previous outings.
He notched his second win after running two good races at Scone and Gulgong prior to the Willow Tree Cup, said Ben Thompson, the son of the horse’s trainer Brett Thompson.
“They were two good runs,” Ben Thompson said. “His run at Scone was very good but he ran a real good race at Gulgong. The track never suited him there.
“He needed that run too to keep him fit for today and we got him to the right track with the right jockey.”
Wantabearomeo continued his “gunna” career.
“He’s a gunna horse. Always gunna win but ...” said the horse’s Quirindi trainer Scott Thompson.
It continued a frustrating run for Thompson after he ran third in the recent John “Mouse” Sinclair Cup at Quirindi.
In race one, Skyscraper led and ran away from his opposition to score an easy win in the $10,000 Liverpool Plains Groundspray Class 3 Handicap (1200m).
Jake Hull rode the four-year-old gelding and was never in doubt as the son of O’Lonhro kicked clear coming down the hill to register a three-and-half-length win over Gavin Groth’s Beale Street, with Connie Greig’s Rising King a neck away in third place.
Skyscraper was the $3 favourite. He had his second start for Tamworth trainer Mark Mason, who said the gelding seemed to appreciate a “change of scenery”.
“He came from Chris Munce,” Mason said of the former Queenslander.
“We put him in an outside yard at home and [he has] been a bit happier out there than he was in an inside stable. The change of scenery has helped him.”
Skyscraper’s first run for Mason had been at Tamworth on May 15 when je finished sixth to Iwatani in a 1200m benchmark 65 handicap.
“He was only beaten a couple of lengths,” he said. “Today was a big drop in class. Hopefully it was a big confidence boost for him and he can take it to a full TAB race.”
In race two, Dorreego, surged late to win for the first time when the Newcastle gelding snared the $10,000 Willow Tree Pre School Maiden Plate (1450m).
Unplaced in five previous starts, he was having his fourth run for Newcastle trainer Rod Ollerton, who also owns the three-year-old gelding son of Primus.
Shaun Guymer rode the gelding and told Ollerton “it wasn’t pretty”.
Guymer said the gelding was “like a dog’s breakfast” after giving the jockey a tough time.
“I had to get on my bike,” he said.
Ollerton, who has 15 horses in work at Newcastle, said Dorreego has a lot to learn.
“He’s still very green,” Ollerton said. “[He] doesn’t know what to make of it, doesn’t know which leg to put down. He’s not hopeless but winning that today might give him a bit of confidence.”
In race three, Swift And Shift showed his toughness.
The three-year-old gelding son of Swift Alliance led and refused to be beaten when he clung to a narrow win in the $10,000 Graze At Willow Tree Inn Class 1 Handicap (1450m).
He beat Craig Weeding’s Chekkapen by a long head, with Dean Jackson’s Time Stalker a length and a quarter away in third place.
Swift And Shift had won his maiden at Quirindi at his last start over 1450m.
His only other start at Quirindi had yielded a close second.
Today, he was in front and refusing to give a centimetre.
“He did the same last start at Quirindi – kept fighting,” jockey Luke Cumberland said. “He was the same today. He’s a tough little horse.”
The horse’s trainer, Jane Clement, was delighted with his performance.
“[He] loves Quirindi,” she said. “That was a tough win today. They all had a go at him.”
He’s now won two of his eight starts, with his only three placings all at Quirindi.
In race four, Teppum handed Cumberland a running double when the Melissa Dennett-trained gelding won the $10,000 The Plains Pantry Maiden Handicap (1100m).
The son of Sepoy finished too strongly to beat race favourite Absolutely perfect by a length, with Brett Thompson’s Starlight Treaty a length and a half away in third place.
Teppum was having his 10th start and was coming off a last-start third at Tamworth.
“He travelled well,” Cumberland said, adding: “That’ll be good for his confidence.”
In race five, Muswellbrook trainer Mark Schmetzer breathed something of a long overdue sigh when Sister Joy won the $10,000 Willow Tree Gravels Benchmark 55 Handicap (1000m).
The Muswellbrook mare finished powerfully to beat Sue Grills’ The Gun by a short head, with Connie Greig’s Billy Bent Ear a long head away in third place, in what was a blanket finish.
“[I] haven’t had a winner for a while,” Schmetzer said.
He praised Shaun Guymer’s ride on Sister Joy.
“That’s why I got him up here today,” he said. “A great ride.”
Schmetzer was also elated to have broken a drought while also orchestrating a “little plunge”.
“A big plunge actually,” he grinned.
As for his plans for the five-year-old daughter of Al Maher, he said: “Find another little race like that I hope. That’s her fifth win too. That’s a pretty good effort.”