Scone trainers Brett and Georgie Cavanough are hoping to lure Sydney jockey Jason Collett to the Hunter Valley next month after Collett’s win on Fingers Hunter in last Saturday’s 1200-metre Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap at Randwick. 
Collett came from the second half of the field on Fingers Hunter ($9) to score by three-quarters of a length from She Within, with the desperately unlucky favourite Autumn Break a similar margin away in third place. 
Brett Cavanough was delighted with the win, announcing that Fingers Hunter will have her next start in the Country Championships qualifier at Muswellbrook on March 8. 
“Can we get J. Collett to come and ride her at Muswellbrook? We’ll have to see what we can do to get him there, won’t we?” he said.
“When she’s on, she’s a really good filly. That’s why she’s got a couple of hundred thousand in prizemoney next to her name. 
“We had contemplated the breeding barn with her but the way she’s gone today, she’s got to go to the Country Championships. The carrots are too big. 
“At her first run back (from a spell) she was really good then on a wet track at Rosehill the other day, she was on the worst part of the track and it was just ugly.”
Collett said patience was the key to the Randwick win.
“I could see them starting to peel away from the inside and full credit to her, she had the weight (59kg) but her acceleration was sharp and she did the job,” he said. 
Kreon comes good
Another galloper headed for the Country Championships is Kreon, winner of the 1200-metre benchmark 78 later on the Randwick card. 
With Zac Lloyd in the saddle and unwanted in betting at $26, Kreon settled just off the pace before finishing strongly to defeat another outsider, Uzziah, by three-quarters of a length with odds-on favourite Monte Veebee a close-up third. 
“He’s always shown good ability but generally he likes it a little bit softer than today so that had me worried,” said Goulburn trainer Danny Williams. 
“It’s taken a long time to put it all together on the track with him. He was an expensive yearling. We paid $750,000 for him. He was just such an incredible moving horse.”
Williams said the five-year-old entire by Japanese stallion Rulership would now be set for the Sapphire Coast heat of the Country Championship qualifiers on March 1.
Around the traps
Tamworth gelding Mystery Lad landed some decent bets ($12-$9) in last Friday’s Walcha Cup for trainer Jacob Perrett and jockey Jake Pracey-Holmes. 
Earlier, in the 1440-metre maiden plate, the Tim McIntosh-trained Muswellbrook filly Silent Serenade was impressive winning by 3¼ lengths under Luke Rolls. 
In the following race, the $50,000 Super Maiden (1000m), punters who’d backed Kakoda into $1.30 favourite would have been having heart palpitations when three horses hit the line locked together.
The favourite, a debutante trained by Scott Singleton at Scone, got up by a half-head, with the third placegetter a head further away.  
In the final race of the day, the 1200-metre Class 1, the McIntosh/Rolls team were back in the winner’s circle  when the well supported Gelsey ($3.40) recorded a comfortable win.   
The same afternoon at Canberra, trainer Gary Colvin and jockey Jeff Penza combined for a double.
Punters were on the ball at Nowra last Sunday, with $1.85 favourite Hey Jude winning the $50,000 Super Maiden (1200 metres) by two lengths for Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker and rider Keagan Latham. The win brought up a double for Latham. 
The same day at Port Macquarie, apprentice Jett Newman fared best of the riders with two winners, both for local trainer Neil Godbolt.
Coming attractions
There’s another $50,000 Super Maiden this Friday at Tamworth over 1200 metres, while Saturday is cup day at the Bedgerabong picnics and at Holbrook, with both features over 1400 metres.
Sunday is Showcase day at Coffs Harbour, featuring the $150,000 Country Championships Qualifier over 1400 metres and a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1200 metres.