Ridden by Dubbo jockey Jeff Kehoe, the Alison Smith, Orange-trained three-year-old gelding overcame the 12 barrier to hit the lead on settling and go to the line under a strong hold.

The winner started as the $3.40 second favourite and beat Maddy Moo ($4.60, Tiffany Jeffries) by 4.5 lengths with Adrian Robinson’s mount One Last Shot ($10.00) a half length away third.

The $3.00 favourite True Course - trained by Tom Mulholland at Dubbo and ridden by Mathew Cahill - was never in the race and finished fourth.

Smith said a lot of work had gone into getting Double Header to the races.

Owned by Jim and John Carroll from Bathurst of Country Tyrone fame, the gelding was formerly trained by Dean Wallace at Gosford.

“The original idea was that John Langworthy would train him but then John had his serious accident and I took over originally as the babysitter,” Smith said.

“Then it was a series of tries and failures in trials. He run a good second behind the open class horse Monaro Magic at Parkes, then we went to Dubbo and he was scratched at the barrier so it was back to square one.

“Next was another trial at Cowra and the stewards wouldn’t pass him but we got through without a problem and won a trial at Wellington before his race on the same track today.

“Jeff Kehoe rode him that day and I needed a particular rider for this horse today and he was the man.”

Smith said all the work of Kevin Kershaw, who broke the gelding in, to the whip-and-barrier expert John Wilson, was important.

But then there was some concern yesterday when Double Header played up again at the barrier and the race was delayed some three minutes.

Fortunately he was loaded without Kehoe and the rest is now history.

“I forgot one little detail to pass onto the starters - to give him a slap, but it worked out well,” Smith said.

“I’ll have to have a look at the race back home before I decide which way to go next but I think he’s got some ability.”

Smith said the other positive about the win was having John and Eva Langworthy at the races yesterday.

“It wasn’t so long ago that things didn’t look good for John when he was taken to hospital after a serious training accident,” Smith said.

“But he’s come back better than we expected and while there are things that a 73-year-old can’t do with the horses, he’s greatly improved.

“John and Eva brought my two horses to the races today and I think he got a bit of a kick out of the win by Double Header.”