A four-kilogram turnaround in the weights was the key to Double Halo returning to the winner's circle in the Macquarie Toyota Cattleman's Cup (1400m) at Warren yesterday.
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The rising seven-year-old finished fifth behind Socks The Fox in the recent XXXX Cup (1400m) at Mudgee, and while the latter started a solid $1.70 favourite yesterday, punters that stuck solid with the Luke Griffith-trained runner were rewarded when he started at odds of $4.60.
Griffith had planned to run Double Halo at Quirindi on Sunday but when that meeting was called off due to rain, he elected to make the four-hour trip to Warren and put two-kilogram-claiming apprentice Vad Bolozhinskyi on board.
The plan worked a treat as the Dubleo (USA) x Diamond Girl gelding rattled home from the back of the field to record the 10th win of his career and take his earnings to just shy of $200,000.
Socks The Fox led early before jockey Mathew Cahill elected to take a sit behind outsider Blades Of Glory.
Approaching the turn Cahill moved outside the leader but he had company as The Brown One and Shen Long both moved wide and the four raced each other around the home turn.
Bolozhinskyi elected to stay out of the early duel, as did Greg Ryan aboard Lord Burghersh ($12.00), and it was that pair which was left to fight out the finish.
Lord Burghersh burst through the centre of the pack to look a fleeting chance but the grey was worn down in the final 100m by Double Halo, which went on to win by half-a-length.
The Brown One ($6.00, Martin Haley) fought on well to finish third, while Socks The Fox missed the placings.
"Normally Greg rides him but because of the late decision to run here he was on the other horse," Griffith told Sky Racing World after the race.
"We put Vad on to try and meet Socks The Fox on equal terms and it was a good ride.
"Having a bit of pace in the race helped him because they crawled in the race at Mudgee last time and the backmarkers had no chance."
Earlier in the program Dubbo trainers Myron Cooper and John McKinnon both found themselves in the winner's circle.
Ryan was on board the Cooper-trained Grass Cutter, which took out the Maiden Plate (1200m) as a $3.80 fav while McKinnon cast aside the disappointment of One Last Shot breaking down at Gilgandra on Saturday when Something Borrowed ($7.00, Kody Nestor) scored a dominant three-length win in the Maiden Plate (1400m).