Morphettville trainer Andrew Gluyas is hopeful of another positive spring after Watchme Win’s victory in last Saturday’s listed W.H. Wylie Handicap over 1100 metres at his home track.
Gluyas’s career as a solo trainer got off to the best possible start last spring, following the retirement of co-trainer and father-in-law Leon Macdonald, with the victory of Goldrush Guru in the Victoria Derby.
Watchme Win ($3 favourite) was first up after a spell last Saturday and came from better than midfield under Jason Holder to score a well timed win.
It was a second black-type win and sixth overall from 13 starts for the lightly raced five-year-old Harry Angel gelding. A lucrative Victorian spring campaign beckons.
Holder went on to complete a running double when Darknconfidential ($11) won a benchmark 70 over 1600 metres.
The Stuart Gower-trained Darknconfidential, an $80,000 buy at the 2022 Adelaide Magic Millions yearling sale, came from the back half of the field to notch his third win from 18 starts.
He has almost doubled his purchase price in prizemoney, with $158,345.
Stokes strikes again
The productive partnership between trainer Phillip Stokes and jockey Jacob Opperman continued with a double at the Morphettville meeting.
They kicked off with six-year-old Zoustar gelding Zoupurring ($7), who led throughout in a 1200-metre handicap for horses with no more than one metro win in the past year. 
Two races later they scored with three-year-old second-starter Snow Mercy ($2.10 favourite) in the benchmark 64 over 1100 metres.
That made it five winners from 28 starters this season for the Stokes/Opperman combo.
Can’t split ’em
Patrons were kept on their toes when Warparty ($8) and Savsonic ($21) dead-heated in a handicap of 1541 metres.
Ridden by Neil Farley for Ballarat trainer Tom Conlan, Warparty raced handy while Savsonic came from worse than midfield under Kayla Crowther for Murray Bridge conditioner Stephen Theodore.
The Garret Lynch-trained Zain Prince ($31) was half a length away to complete a pair of juicy trifectas, with favourites Leaving Las Vegas ($3.50) and Guru Warrior ($4.40) just outside the placings.
Two for Tootell
Apprentice Caitlin Tootell took the points at last Friday’s Bordertown meeting with a double, winning on the Lindsay Cadzow-trained local Strazz ($8.50) and Ponty Well ($16) for Strathalbyn trainer Jyl Lukey.