For the second consecutive Saturday, country and provincial trainers combined to claim five winners on a nine-race metropolitan program. 
This time the venue was Canterbury and it was the Cessnock-based combination of trainer Jeremy Sylvester and jockey Robert Thompson that scored first, taking out the Class 3, TAB Highway Handicap (1250m). with Lasszou ($11). 
On a track rated heavy 8, Thompson rode a patient race, allowing his mount to drop out early before working into the race approaching the turn. 
The gelding finished strongly over the final 200 metres to claim Attainment, with Dylan’s Dynasty in third place. Both minor placegetters were among three $5 equal favourites.
“That’s Lasszou’s grade — a Class 3 bush horse and he loves the wet,” Thompson said. “It slows the fast ones up and they come back to him.” 
The race, restricted to country-trained horses, gave Lasszou his fourth win from 34 starts.
Prior to the race, Thompson received some unusual instructions from Sylvester in the mounting yard. They were unusual in as much as they had nothing to do with race tactics. 
“Jeremy got bogged as he came in the car park with the float and he told me, ‘When you get to the barriers can you organise a tractor for me, to pull me out?’” the jockey explained.
Officer salutes
King’s Officer ($7), trained on the south coast by Terry Robinson and ridden by Tommy Berry, made it four wins on the trot when he took out the 1550-metre benchmark 83 later on the Canterbury card. 
The in-form five-year-old finished too strongly for McCreery ($6) and Magical Stance ($9), to score by a long neck. 
“He’s always been a highly strung horse and was an average doer, but this preparation he’s much stronger and he’s in great form,” Robinson said. 
“He’s always shown plenty of ability and is really starting to put it all together now.”
The trainer had been considering spelling King’s Officer but with the gelding in such good form and showing a distinct liking for wet tracks, it’s likely he’ll keep him going.
Witness wins
Newcastle trainer Paul Perry chimed in for the provincial tracks when Last Witness ($4.60 favourite) won the 1100-metre benchmark 78, ridden by Tim Clark. 
Clark allowed the three-year-old to settle back in the field and he appreciated the solid tempo, swooping on the leaders over the final 100 metres to claim victory from Raido ($6) with Ever So Natural ($7.50). 
The win was the gelding’s fifth from 15 starts. 
Following a winning double at Taree the previous day, the Canterbury win propelled the in-form Perry into eighth position on the national trainers premiership.
Awasita saves the day
Perry’s fellow Newcastle trainers Grant Marshall and Kris Lees chimed in to claim the final two races on the program. 
Marshall’s six-year-old mare Slots, ridden by Lester Grace, was another winner to settle towards the rear of the field before unleashing a strong finish to score. 
Slots ($15) nailed Powerline ($4.40), trained by Lees, right on the line to score by a head. 
“She came here with a win at the track, a win at the trip and a win in the heavy. She was rock-hard fit and fought it out right to the line,” said Grace after the win.
For Lees, Powerline’s second added to a day of frustration. Earlier in the day he had seen Raido come second, and before that Singing also finished second, beaten a half-head, but his luck was about to change. 
In the final event on the card, his charge Awasita ($8) extended the trend of swoopers running down the speedsters by claiming Glenbawn Dame ($5.50) in the 1100-metre benchmark 84 for fillies and mares. 
“We just couldn’t get a win, but Awasita will make the trip back to Newcastle more enjoyable,” said a relieved Lees. 
Awasita’s win gave Lees his 100th win for the season.
Long road home
It’s long way from the NSW central west to Doomben in Queensland, but Mudgee trainer Mack Griffith decided to make the long trek last Saturday with his charge Binalong Road. 
The target was the 1350-metre benchmark 85 and the country galloper, ridden by apprentice Joshua Oliver, went oh so close.
Binalong Road ($12 into $8) was beaten a lip in a photo finish after diving at the winner, $3.70 favourite Angel Dancer, right on the line. 
Griffith and Binalong Road’s connections could take some solace from the fact that a second in Brisbane was worth $2400 more than a win in the bush.
Black-booker
At Newcastle on Saturday, Park Bench broke his maiden status with a victory in the 1250-metre maiden handicap for Hawkesbury trainer Scott Singleton. 
The three-year-old, which was having its’ second start this preparation, won being eased down by apprentice Yuseke Ichikawa. Now that its’ broken through, this galloper looks to have more wins in store.