It's a long trek from Kembla Grange to Wellington but the trip was well worth it for trainer Peter Korn on Tuesday.
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The Illawarra-based trainer finished the meeting with a late double as Uno Best's win in the day's main event was followed up by an amazing drought-breaking victory for Byblos Boy in the final race of the afternoon.
Korn was forced to make the near six-hour drive to Wellington Jockey Club largely because his highly-rated Uno Best is becoming more and more difficult to place.
The KFC Wellington Handicap (1100m) was seen as the perfect event for the six-year-old gelding and he delivered in style, jockey Jake Pracey-Holmes guiding the $2.90 chance to a close-fought win in a thrilling photo finish.
The win came in Uno Best's second start for Korn, having previously spent the bulk of his career racing in Queensland.
He went to Wellington having scored seven wins in 40 career starts and having run a promising third on debut for Korn in the recent Coonamble Cannonball.
In what was a classy open handicap field, Uno Best ($2.90) stalked early leader Absolute Ripper ($13) while Gayna Williams' Beeokay ($2.20 favourite) and the Clint Lundholm-trained Joey's Destiny ($7.50) also pushed forward.
Absolute Ripper led downhill and into the straight but Uno Best had a lovely run along the rails and quickly battled the surging Beeokay down the final few hundred metres.
Uno Best got to the lead and managed to hang on, despite Greg Ryan and Beeokay lunging on the line.
La La Loopsy, the one time Country Championship Qualifier runner-up, ran third for new trainer Joe Curran.
"We'll press on. I'm very happy with him," Korn said of the winner to Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"He's highly rated so we look for these open handicaps where he's down on the weight a little bit."
Korn was speaking about another winner soon after, as Byblos Boy won for the first time in almost exactly five years.
Byblos Boy's last win came way back on July 8 of 2014 when he scored on debut at Kembla Grange.
There's been injuries and concerns throughout his career but he finally returned to winning ways on Tuesday when kicking clear midway through the Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club Class 2 Handicap (1100m) and then holding off Palais De Louvre ($2.30 favourite) to win by half-a-length.
The win came under a strong ride from Wendy Peel, who got there ahead of Greg Ryan and Palais De Louvre.
Ryan still finished the meeting with a double.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
