Quirindi trainer Peter Mills had a satisfying day at the races last Saturday with Hollywood Gold ($9.50) winning the 1400-metre Class 3 TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill. 
“We bred him, own him and broke him in. We’ve done everything with him,” said Mills. 
“He had a good trial the other day. I gave him a bit of a blowout and it seemed to set him up really well. He was feeling himself, that’s for sure.”
The winning jockey, apprentice Shannen Llewellyn, was already familiar with the quirky Casino Prince five-year-old, having ridden him once before for a Class 1 win at Coonamble.
“He is a cantankerous horse,” she said. “He was actually my first winner without a country claim back at Coonamble and even then I was in the back seat the whole way. 
“He’s just very aggressive early and you have to harness that. He just has a lot of mongrel in him. He doesn’t want to lie down.”
Time’s the key to Time
In the previous race, the 1200-metre benchmark 72 Midway Handicap, apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald sent $2.25  favourite Smashing Time straight to the front and never looked in danger of defeat, cruising home by 2¼ lengths. 
The winner is trained by the father-son team of Robert and Luke Price, who are based at Berry with stables at Kembla Grange. 
“He won the race when we were able to cross early,” Fitzgerald said. “He switched off and we got a couple of cheap sectionals. 
“When I asked him to go at the top of the straight he gave me a couple of gears and quickened away from them. He did want to lay in down the straight but overall he was a pleasure to ride. 
“He’s a bit cheeky, a bit quirky, but he’s got a beautiful big stride and the ability to match.”
Smashing Time was coming off a Midway win at Gosford’s Saturday metro meeting five weeks earlier.
 “I think we’ve worked him out,” Robert Price said. “We’ve changed things with him this preparation. 
“Kudos to (son) Luke. He’s done plenty of work with him and things are starting to come together. He’s a horse that in the past was quite dynamic in his first couple of runs but he’d tail off quickly. 
“We’ve changed the way we approach things and the five weeks between runs really agrees with him. 
“The good thing is, by giving him an extended period between runs it allows us to give him a week in the paddock after a run and it works. We’ll look to do something similar with his next run.”
Reece is a wrap for Rod
Later on the program, jockey Reece Jones celebrated his 30th birthday by piloting Shropshire Lad to victory for Scone trainer Rod Northam in the 1100-metre benchmark 72 for three- and four-year-olds. 
“I can’t thank Rod enough,” Jones said. “He’s been my backbone for a long time now and has always given me support. I don’t know if I’d have made it to where I am without his support, so I’m incredibly thankful to him.”
Jones thinks racegoers are yet to see the best of Shropshire Lad.
“He’s got his own little quirks,” he said. “He’s come a long way.
“Believe it or not, I still wouldn’t say he’s the finished article but he had enough today to get the job done. 
“He’s quite a talented horse. He’s deep into his preparation and to produce a turn of foot like that over 1100 metres is a testament to him. 
“Knowing he’s got a few quirks I thought I might have hit the front a bit early but he was good enough to hold on.”
Around the traps
At Newcastle last Saturday, the $60,000 Super Maiden (1300m) saw the Nathan Doyle-trained local three-year-old Funshow, the heavily backed $2.15 favourite in a four-horse field, career away to a 4¾-length win. The winner was ridden by Jean Van Overmeire. 
Riding honours were shared at Narrandera last Saturday, with a double apiece to Brendan Ward, Pierre Boudvillain and apprentice Ella Bent. 
At the only other Saturday meeting conducted in NSW, the Walgett Cup went to former Chris Waller rep Delrico, trained at Mendooran by Jane Clement and ridden by Billy Cray. 
Clement backed up on Sunday at Warren with a double led by Castlebar Road ($7.50), who won the feature Coonamble Cannonball (1000m) under apprentice Anna Weatherlake.
The other Sunday meeting was at Port Macquarie, where the feature Wauchope Cup (1512m) went to Supreme Command ($4.80), trained at Taree by Grant Jobson and ridden by Matthew Bennett. 
Earlier, the 1010-metre Wauchope Sprint, saw My Mum’s Toyboy ($4.40) score an impressive 3¾-length win for Coffs Harbour trainer Brett Dodson and apprentice Grady Spokes. 
The $50,000 Super Maiden (1512m) was won by odds-on favourite Moana Gold, trained at Wyong by Kristen Buchanan and ridden by Mollie Fitzgerald. 
At Canberra last Friday, Pierre Boudvillain took riding honours with a winning treble while locally based Gratz Vella fared best of the trainers with a winning double.
Coming attractions 
This Friday we’re racing at Coffs Harbour and Moruya while tomorrow’s country meetings are at Coonabarabran and Talmoi, where the feature is the 1400-metre Talmoi Picnic Cup. Sunday’s Wagga Wagga meeting includes a $50,000 Super Maiden over 1400 metres, while Murwillumbah hosts the Grafton Cup Preview over 2020 metres.