It was a huge week for Grafton based trainers who after continuing to be frustrated by the big wet are still able to churn out winner after winner.
Tony Newing was not prepared to wait on the races going ahead on the northern rivers this weekend so he took the early option to travel to Taree on Thursday with very pleasing results in the Maiden 1000m
Ridden by Matt McGuren Bobby Is King had to overcome the outside gate but essentially crossed them for fun to have the race totally under control before the 600m mark.
Once McGuren pushed the go button after the 200m Bobby Is King bounded away to win with some authority.
With the King’s birthday meeting pushed back to Monday plenty of Grafton trainers had runners at the meeting with three of the ten winners being recorded by locals.
Moana Kohala was first to the winners circle for John Shelton in the Maiden 1730m ridden by Luke Rolls Moana Kohala had been a little disappointing at the Casino Beef Week meeting but stripped a much fitter conveyance on Monday.
The mare settled well back in the field before Rolls saved ground rounding the bend and then worked into the clear below the 200m to race away and win well.
Winner number two saw the happy Englishman Andrew Parramore celebrating after Under Twenty Two made it two wins in the preparation in the BM 58 1430m.
Ridden by Danny Peisley Under Twenty Two raced in the vanguard throughout with Peisley essentially controlling the tempo from his inside position.
Once in the straight Under Twenty Two gave a solid kick and although the winning margin was tightening nearing the line the gelding found enough to score.
The final race of the day saw two veterans of the turf combine to score a strong win. Jeff Kehoe and the eight year old Old Timing Man proved to be superior to their rivals in the BM 58 1200m.
Kehoe allowed Old Timing Man to settle just off the pace before laying down the gauntlet to his stablemate Hidden Hail at the 200m.
In the run to the finish Old Timing Man was simply too strong and held on to win, in the end Hidden Hail was nosed out of second by Mr Midnight to rob trainer Shane Everson of the stable quinella.
Old Timing Man was having his eighty second start and recorded his ninth win. It is almost two years since his last win at a TAB meeting but he has remained consistent throughout almost never running a bad race.
