Wangaratta trainer Ashleigh Smith looks to have unearthed another handy “Tallingas” horse with the winning debut of Tallingas Chief at Echuca last Saturday.
The three-year-old Royal Meeting gelding came into Smith’s care after one unplaced jumpout last January.
He had two jumpouts at his home track prior to debuting, winning one and running second in the other, but attracted only minor betting interest on raceday, firming from $61 into $41 before starting at $51.
Regardless, rider Jack Martin had him travelling well behind the pace in the Hygain Edge Maiden Plate (1009m) and he finished solidly for a quarter-length win over fellow first-starter I’m Intrigued, trained at Tabilk near Nagambie by Saab Hasan.
Smith is currently registered as trainer for 12 of the Adamo family’s “Tallingas” horses. Five of them have had starts in her care, for two winners — Tallingas Chief and Tallingas Avanti, successful at Gundagai on September 6.
Longer trips suit Special
Two races later at Echuca, the Seymour-trained Surely Special ($9.50) scored for 3kg claimer Liana Wood in 0-56 grade over 2112 metres. 
Trainer Chris Davis has had the nine-year-old for just his last five starts, for two third placings and now a win. The key would appear to have been a step up to 2000 meters and further for the son of staying influence Lucas Cranach. 
Another Seymour horse took the next, Grunnettan ($15) scoring in 0-56 company for Rhys Archard and jockey Ryan Hurdle. 
In contrast to Surely Special, Grunnettan was dropping back in distance from 2200m to 1412m off a break of 54 days, with a 1000m trial win in between.
Hurdle almost made it a running double in the next race aboard the eight-year-old American Russ ($5) for Seymour owner/trainer Tony Waddell, but had to settle for second placing.
Follow this late bloomer
There were more positive results for district trainers the same day at Wagga, starting with a narrow second to debutant Dei Miracoli ($9.50) for Wangaratta’s Craig Weeding and stable jockey Jake Duffy.
Dei Miracoli came to Weeding as a late three-year-old but required time and patience due to a lack of education and a bout of shin soreness. 
The Fastnet Express gelding didn’t have his first jumpout until he was a late four-year-old but finished in the first three in all four jumpouts prior to his first race start at age five. 
The horse clearly has ability and is one to follow.
The next at Wagga, a maiden plate over 1400 metres, went the way of another Wangaratta-trained horse, the Libby Haworth-trained Saker Falcon ($3), in the hands of Mansfield apprentice Brittany Button.
Race four, the Honouring Peter Worsley Class 3 over 1400 metres, saw Wangaratta horses Hellberg and Kokonda fill the minor placings for Ben Brisbourne and Weeding respectively.