Not satisfied with just a winning double effort, Gilgandra trainer Bryan Dixon achieved something even more unlikely during the Saturday, December 28 race meeting on his turf.
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Dixon not only secured wins in the Gilgandra Services Club Co-op Limited Benchmark 50 Handicap and the Kate Smith Memorial Cup, but took out all three placings in the latter race, securing a lucrative day of racing at home and making the most of the opportunity for two of his most promising horses.
"Yeah, it's always real good to win at home, to be honest, I wish they raced here more often, there's always a nice little advantage when you don't have that travel," Dixon said.
"Getting that win and the run in the main race of the day with the Kate Smith Memorial Cup, that was a really good race for us."
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It was recent winner Song One, who's impressed in recent outings in Wellington and Bathurst and now has two wins in his last three starts, who saluted across the 1600m distance in the Benchmark 58 race, while Dixon's Outta Space secured second and Sugar Lane battled it out with fourth placed Turramurra to ensure a third place finish and complete the placing trifecta.
Song's recent form and cheap asking price has made them one of the more valuable additions to Dixon's growing stable and will almost ensure a start in the upcoming Gilgandra Cup feature.
"They're going really, really good at the moment, they've pulled up alright, so I think he'll be starting in the Gilgandra Cup next week."
Dixon's earlier winner of the day, Baby Merlin, beat out Rodney Robb's Bee Double Bee by just under a full length, ridden by Yvette Lewis from the outside.
"Baby Merlin's going good, he's been very unlucky with some of the barrier draws, he keeps drawing the outside barrier, but he's come good,he managed third and fourth in Orange and Warren recently, which was a good improvement," Dixon said.
"My son knows him and he came down for the races and I gave him a start so he could watch him for Christmas, he's been going good."
Other winners on the day included Darren Hyde's Dynamic Moss, who scored a maiden win in the first up race and Brett Thompson's Beau Zariz, who also found a maiden win in the Royal Hotel Maiden Plate after running home from the outside while being guided by jockey Billy Cray.
Greg O'Neill's Kiwicod took outa win in the 1280m Class 1 Handicap, with help from jockey Wendy Peel.
The Gilgandra Cup is expected to return on Sunday, January 5 in the new year.