Anthony Cavallo scored two early wins in vastly different fashion at Wellington Race Club on Tuesday.
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The experienced jockey took out the first and third events on the card, firstly with the Mark Milton-trained Raised To The Max before combining with Alison Smith to salute with Jaywalker.
Raised To The Max was simply dominant in the Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club Maiden Handicap (900m) and won by more than six lengths while Jaywalker edged out the Andrew Ryan-trained Are You Certain by a head after a ding-dong battle down the straight in the Barnson Pty Ltd Maiden Plate (1140m).
While the wins were different, both came with long-time maidens who had shown plenty of glimpses of potential.
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That was especially the case for Raised To The Max, who has impressed the Mudgee-based Milton on numerous occasions during work at home.
"I've said it a couple of times during a pre-race (interview) that it wouldn't surprise me if he won by half-a-dozen lengths," Milton told Sky Thoroughbred Central after the win.
"That's the way he works, that's the way he won today. He was a bit quicker into stride than I thought ... but once he pinged with 600 (metres) to go at the top of the hill I thought he was going to be hard to beat."
Cavallo and Raised To The Max ($4) got away well from gate three and quickly got to the lead while in midfield both $3.50 favourite Buckin' Rippa and Inzaghi ($31) were checked and lost ground.
The Mathew Cahill-ridden Buckin' Rippa almost lost its footing and while it got back into stride, it was never able to get into the race.
At the front of the field Raised To The Max was in control and entered the straight with a two-length gap to Written Verse ($8.50) while Mr Cruise ($8) was also giving chase.
There was little chance of catching the leader as Cavallo and his mount kicked further clear and won in comfortable fashion from Mr Cruise while Lily's Lolly ($3.90) ran home well for third.
After Clayton Gallagher rode Expect A Hero ($6) to victory for trainer Brett Robb in the day's second event, Cavallo was back in the winner's circle with Jaywalker.
Having not won in 16 previous starts for Orange-based Smith, Jaywalker showed plenty of fight in the straight on Tuesday to overhaul and then hold off Are You Certain and claim victory.
The double came after Cavallo scored a handy third with Kody Nestor's Jailbreak in last Thursday's $200,000 Wagga Town Plate.