The Clint Lundholm rebuild continues to gain real pace and the trainer showed his skills on Friday when he scored a winning treble at Dubbo Turf Club.
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Lundholm is someone who regularly enjoys success at his home track and Friday was no different as Fearless Mila, Knight Driver, and Tells Tails all saluted at the Mark Hughes Foundation Charity meeting.
The second half of last year was a quiet time for the Dubbo trainer as a suspension resulted in horses being shipped around to other stables - most were looked after by Rodney Robb - but this year numbers have been on the rise.
With more horses in the stables the wins have followed and Friday's treble followed success at Binnaway, Wellington, Dubbo, and Brewarrina since the start of last month.
"It's a really good day and I'm really proud of the team," Lundholm told Sky Thoroughbred Central after Friday's third win.
"They've done a lot of hard work to get back to where we are and we're going really well so I'm proud of them."
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All three of Lundholm's winners on Friday started tier respective races as favourites.
Fearless Mila had been tipped as one of the best bets on the card and she didn't disappoint.
Continuing a hot run of form, Fearless Mila ($3.50 favourite) kept grinding away at the front and lasted to win by a half-length in the Macquarie River Consulting Benchmark 66 Handicap (1200m).
The result made it four wins in five starts for Fearless Mila since the mare arrived at Lundholm's stables from those of Damien Lane at Wyong.
Lundholm will toss up the idea of giving Fearless Mila one more start before sending her to the paddock in the hopes of targeting events like the Coonamble Cup later in the year.
Country cups aren't on the menu for Knight Driver, with a trip to Sydney likely after she made it three successive wins on Friday.
The first of those wins came earlier in the year for Robb but since returning from a spell she's scored a convincing win at Wellington and the victory in Friday's Berryman Optical Local Lens Services Class 3 Handicap (1000m).
"She loves to win," Lundholm said.
"She just keeps sticking that head out and tries her guts out. There's not much of her but she loves to win.
"She's a great little mare. She's got that competitive streak in her and not many can do what she's doing.and it's good to see."
A crack at a Highway event in the city is the ultimate goal for Lundholm and while Knight Driver might not be up to the class of some other country gallopers he knows his filly "digs in and gives it her all".
Jockey Jake Pracey-Holmes scored the trainer's third win with Tells Tails in the Ray Nolan Class 1 Handicap (1100m) as Lundholm's decision to send her forward early on the heavy track paid dividends.
'It was a late call to put her on the speed, just the way the track is," he said.
"Every time she's been on a wet track she's box-seated and never found anything so I said to Jake let's get right on the bunny and she mightn't sprint but she might grind them into the ground. Well, she let down and killed them."
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.
