Ridden by crack apprentice jockey, Timothy Bell, Hypnotize was sent out $2.10 favourite and was untroubled to win the Maiden Plate (1100m), the opening race of the day.

Mack Griffith’s Cabinet (Glenn Lynch) was one and three-quarter lengths away second.

Paul Frampton, who races Hypnotize with his wife Bindi and daughter Kate, bred the chestnut by Belong To Me (USA) from his broodmare Dancing Power.

Hypnotize is trained at Tamworth by Sue Grills, who regularly races at Muswellbrook.

Grills had two winners at Doomben last Saturday. One of her winners, Dealers, was part owned by Glen Innes Jockey Club president Andrew Futter, who was killed in a motor accident on Friday near Tenterfield on his was to Doomben to watch the race the following day.

A prominent executive of Merriwa Race Club, Paul Frampton and other members of the committee are busy preparing for the once a year cup meeting on Saturday, April 24.