Port Macquarie trainer Paul Snowden looks to have a handy prospect for the future following the win of Navy Buoy in the Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap over 1600 metresat Randwick. 
The win was Navy Buoy’s third from four starts since joining the Snowden stable and given the ease of Saturday’s win the four-year-old looks to have a bright future. 
Jockey Tommy Berry sent the $4.20 favourite to the front and never looked in danger of defeat in recording a 3¼-length win over Sacred Mistress. 
“He came to us as a six-start maiden,” Snowden said. “We knew he could gallop but it was a case of trying to find what flicked the switch to get that bit of X-factor out of him. 
“He’s had a couple of runs close together so I’ll just get him home and let him do his usual drill for a week or so.” 
Explaining the “usual drill”, Snowden said: “What I do with this horse in between runs is extremely minimal. I don’t think a lot of trainers would do what I do with this horse but it seems to work with this guy. 
“A bit of swimming and out in the paddock chasing some cows around. Just let him be a horse and he prepares himself.”  
Berry had no concerns about the unorthodox training schedule. 
“I’ve ridden for Paul long enough now to know if he says one goes okay, it goes okay, because he’s put his hands on enough good horses to know what he’s talking about. 
“He knows how to place them and what he needs to bring down here to be winning. He (Navy Buoy) gave me a lovely ride and when I asked to see what was under the hood, I wasn’t disappointed. 
“He’s a bit better than the normal Highway horse.” 
As for what the future holds for Navy Buoy, Snowden said: “His future is bright and we’ll keep chipping away at his grades. Hopefully he can continue to progress and he might find himself in a Port Macquarie Cup next year.” 
Call stays
Another winner from Saturday’s Randwick meeting likely to be set for a cup race is the Kris Lees-trained Brave Call who, with that man Tommy Berry in the saddle again, took out the 2400-metre benchmark 78. 
“He’s ticked that box (2400 metres),” Lees said. “He gave us the indication all along that he’d be suited at this trip but you need to see them do it. 
“We were a little guarded going a month between runs but he handled it well and it was a lovely ride from Tommy.  
“He got on the back of one of the good chances in the race that took him into it and he was strong through the line. 
“I think he’s a horse with a lot of upside. He’s still lightly raced and he’s going to have a good 12 months ahead of him.”
Berry agreed that Brave Call ($4.20) had a staying future.
“I didn’t want to make a long run or mid-race move on my bloke so I was hoping Dylan (Gibbons) being on a fit horse would do that, so I pre-empted that and for once it worked out. We got a lovely cart into the race. 
“That’s his go. He’s a true stayer. It was a great training performance from Kris to have him a month between runs and get a result.” 
Know good
Scone trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich have their eye on next month’s $500,000 The Lakes at Wyong following Know Thyself’s thrilling win in the 1400-metre benchmark 100 at Randwick.
With leading country jockey Aaron Bullock aboard, Know Thyself ($11) got up by a long neck from Sandpaper with a similar margin to third-placed Gallant Star, with favourite Just Party another nose away in fourth. 
“He’s been a tremendous horse for my career,” Bullock said. “That was my seventh win on him and he’s now the horse I’ve won the most races on. 
“I’ve been very grateful for their support and loyalty,” he said of Messara and Gavranich. 
Messara described Know Thyself as “a tough horse” after the five-year-old took his record to 12 starts for eight wins.
The Lakes, over 1600 metres, is the feature of Wyong’s metro-class program on Saturday January 10.
Hot Beer
Kembla Grange trainers Mitch Beer and George Carpenter had a day out at Moruya last Sunday, winning three races including the feature Narooma Cup (1300m) with $4 favourite Dumebi, ridden by Pierre Boudvillain. 
In a thrilling finish Dumebi scored by just a half-head from Lambay with Your Not The Boss a length and a quarter away in third place. 
The Beer/Carpenter team’s first win of the day came in the $50,000 Super Maiden over the same trip with well backed $2.90 favourite Blue Monday, ridden by Grant Buckley. 
In the following race, the 1425-metre Christmas Cup, Beer and Carpenter struck again, this time with $4.20 favourite Grey Secret, also ridden by Buckley. In a tight finish, Grey Secret scored by just a long neck from Lysander with Miss Stalwart just a short head away in third place. 
A big Boxing Day
This Friday at Quirindi, the main race will be the 2000-metre, Murrurundi Cup, while at Wauchope the feature attraction is the 1800-metre Woop Woop Cup.