Scone trainer Lou Mary looks to be heading in the right direction with Impending filly Pensativa, winner of last Saturday’s set-weights Class 3 TAB Highway Plate over 1600 metres at Randwick.
Andrew Adkins settled the three-year-old just off the pace before driving her to the front with 100 metres to run. Pensativa ($7.50) then defied the late challenge of Kranich to win by a short neck, with the charging In Summer just over a length away in third place.
“From barrier one today I was able to find that cover and she’s a lot more brilliant off the bridle when she can get on the back of one, which she showed today,” Adkins said of Pensativa.
“Lou (Mary) asked me after her last start if she’d run the mile and I said she’d have no problem.
“I had no concern about her getting the trip. It was making sure that she had a good, economical run throughout and she’d be brilliant off the back of that.
In Summer, also trained at Scone (by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich), was having just her second run back from a spell and should be further improved next time.
Stanley on the rise
The next race at Randwick, the benchmark 72 Midway Handicap over the same trip, saw Newcastle apprentice William Stanley record his fourth metropolitan win.
Stanley, indentured to top Novocastrian trainer Kris Lees, led all the way on the Richard and Will Freedman-trained import Walking Painting ($11).
“Things are starting to kick along,” Stanley said. “I’m happy with how things are going so head down, keep working hard and hopefully the opportunities keep growing over the next couple of months.”
Around the traps
Back at Newcastle the same afternoon, senior jockey Keagan Latham and apprentice Holly Durnan shared riding honours with a double apiece.
The most impressive win at Newcastle came in the 1300-metre benchmark 64, with Jason Deamer trained mare Just In Time ($1.90 favourite) scoring by three lengths under Aaron Bullock.
The chestnut, formerly trained by Ciaron Maher, has won both starts for Deamer and now has three wins and three placings from eight starts overall. On the ease of Saturday’s win she should pay to keep following.
Still on Saturday, up north the 1400-metre Carinda Cup saw a two-length win to $3.40 favourite Tavanasia, trained at Dubbo by Michael Mulholland and ridden by apprentice Caine Stuart.
Scone trainer Nikki Pollock and apprentice Zoe Hunt combined to win two races on the six-race program.
Meanwhile the Wean Picnic Cup (1600m) went to Pariah mare Avoid Me, trained at Muswellbrook by Julia Presits and ridden by  Leandro Ribeiro. Gilgandra trainer Kieren Hazelton had a winning double as did jockey Todd Bailey.
The previous day’s $50,000 Super Maiden over 1425 metres at Moruya saw $2.20 favourite Walk The Pier, trained at Canberra by Matthew Kelley and ridden by Jeff Penza, score an emphatic three-length win.
The win brought up a double for Penza, who’d won the previous, a 1010-metre benchmark 66, aboard another favourite, Sutton Vella ($3.60), for another Canberra trainer, Gratz Vella.
Kembla Grange-based Mitchell Beer fared best of the trainers, leading two winners, both ridden by talented 1.5-kilo claimer Holly Durnan.
At Scone that afternoon, the Brett Cavanough-trained mare Chidiac ($1.70 favourite) was most impressive scoring a dominant 4¼-length win in the 1100-metre Class 3 under apprentice Braith Nock. This four-year-old mare definitely looks to have more wins in store.
Cavanough finished the meeting with a winning double, as did jockey Ashley Morgan.
Sunday’s feature South Grafton Cup (1610m) went to the Matthew Dunn-trained Boys Night Out ($4), ridden by Jake Bayliss. In a thrilling finish the winner scored by a half-head from Vivy Air with Sibaaq a nose further away in third place.
The win brought up a double for Dunn, who’d won the opening race on the Grafton program, a $50,000 Super Maiden, with $2.40 favourite Gaylord, ridden by Aaron Bullock.
Mollie Fitzgerald fared best of the riders with a winning double.
Further south on Sunday, the 1600-metre Narrandera Cup went to the Luke Pepper-trained Hot Bandit ($4.40), ridden by Rebecca Bronett Prag.
Goulburn’s Danielle Seib trained a winning double, while John Kissick booted home three winners.
That’s a wrap
This Friday they’re racing at Albury and Tamworth while Saturday’s country action is at Coonabarabran.
On Sunday the Grafton carnival wraps up with the running of the 1400-metre Maclean Cup.