Local trainers dominated the Scone race meeting last Monday in difficult conditions, winning four of the eight races.
The domination came despite the track being rated a heavy 7.
Rod Northam led in a winning double while Peter Bloomfield and Michael Parkinson had one winner each.
Northam won the Magic Albert-Dennis Wilton Benchmark 65 (1300m) with Miss Alert and the Tooheys New Maiden (1100m) with Vain Saint. Both horses were ridden by Robert Thompson.
Bloomfield and Tim Bell combined to win the Pages Event Equipment Maiden (1100m) with Salame Veloce while Parkinson won the Emirates Park Benchmark 65 (1600m) with Silent Creek.
The win by Silent Creek gave Allan Robinson the second leg of a winning double.
It was a lucky last minute ride for him after Greg Ryan, who was supposed to ride the horse, fell ill and followed Robinson’s winning ride one race earlier on the Newcastle trained Triple French.
Miss Alert was having her first start for Northam after being switched from Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli.
The mare settled in fourth place early in the small field then motored home to beat Zarbu and win by a short neck.
“She was not having a lot of luck in her races in town and it was decided she might be better off in the country,” Northam said.
“She is a nice mare and I will look for another country race with and see how she goes before making any plans.”
The win by Vain Saint lowered the boom on the Paul Messara trained Auspicious who did not appear to relish the heavy track, finishing fourth. He will now go for a spell.
Vain Saint was having his third start from a long spell after Northam feared the horse’s racing days might have been over.
“He was badly stripped in a race here and we feared he would never race again,” Northam said.
“However the leg looks fine now.
“We have been considering selling him and he is still on the market but the price has obviously just gone up.”
Vain Saint charged home from second last to grab Star Mate and win by a length with first starter Dunolly a further three quarters of a length away third.
Thompson later made it a winning treble when he pushed the Alan Scorse trained Major Nelson through a gap to grab the lead near the line and win the Darley Benchmark 55 (1100m).
Scorse admitted after the race that he had made a mistake with the three year old last preparation.
“I thought he was going to be a stayer but I was wrong,” Scorse said.
“He has thrown to his dam who was a 1200 metre specialist and I think this horse is going to be the same.”
The Peter Bloomfield trained Salame Veloce might look like a staying mare but the trainer is convinced she is a dyed in the wool sprinter.
“She is big and strong and on her looks you would think she would get a trip,” Bloomfield said after she came from a wide barrier to win the Pages Event Equipment Maiden (1100m).
“I tried her last preparation over 1450 metres and she did not handle the trip.”
Salame Veloce not only overcame her wide barrier but also a blunder at the start.
Bell told connections the mare appeared to lose her footing and slip when the gates opened.
Bloomfield has vivid memories of the mare’s dam, Diamond Jive.
“She was a terribly hard mare to train,” he said.
“She used to get stirred up no matter where she was.
“She was just as bad in the tie ups as she was at the barriers.”
Allan Robinson achieved what Parkinson was hoping for in getting Silent Creek to settle before going on to win.
“He has been pulling in his last couple of races and it is something I have been trying to break him out of,” Parkinson said.
“Allan did exactly as I was hoping he would
“It is only early days but I think this horse has promise.”
Silent Creek was having only his seventh start and that was his second win, against a hot field.
The horse was last early but Robinson worked him forward to be sitting in third placed on the fence before charging home.
He came away to win by two and a half lengths from The Member with the Greg Bennett trained Nikkirina a further nose away third.
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