JAN Bowen sounded as surprised as everyone else after debutante Emilette (Greg Ryan) raced away to win the $40,000 Power FM Showcase Maiden (1000m), a race restricted to country-trained horses, at Muswellbrook on Sunday.
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The victory came after she ran last in a trial in November and then fourth in a Muswellbrook trial early this month.
"She did not have a lot going for her in this race," the hometown mentor said.
"She was on debut and she had the outside barrier but she is a half-sister to Eminent Duke so she is bred to have plenty of speed.
"I think she has a bit of a future."
Despite Emilette ($18) being drawn wide, Ryan used her speed to be across and running second after 200m, went to the lead on the turn and won by a fraction more than a length from another first starter in Bonnie Joy (41), trained at Wauchope by Colt Prosser.
The now retired Eminent Duke was trained by Bowen to win six races from 900m to 1100m.
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BRAD Widdup hopes he has found the key to Bullet Storm ($3.60) after his win in the All Weld Services Benchmark 58 (1500m).
It was his first triumph after he scored in a maiden at Nowra in August last year.
"He has been disappointing so I put blinkers on him today and that might the key to him," Widdup said.
"He has had a few problems as well and I think we are on top of those as well."
The win gave Adam Hyeronimus a double after earlier winning the Godolphin Tiara on the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Got Your Six.
Hyeronimus gave Bullet Storm a perfect ride, settling him on the fence in fifth place behind the leaders before moving out to be three wide at the top of the straight and going on to win by one and a half lengths from the $8 chance Spirit Of Elijah (Brooke Stower).
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THE Kris Lees stable has always had an opinion of Zeftabrook and that was only re-in forced after the filly scored a runaway win in the Aquis Starmaker Two-Year-Old (1000m).
And, the victory came despite an alarming drift in betting from $2.60 overnight to $4.40 when the field jumped.
That was partly brought on by the Pat Farrell-trained Pee Dee, aiming for his third successive win, firming sharply late in betting to start the $3.80 favourite.
Pee Dee, with Greg Ryan aboard, led to the turn and appeared to be going easily but once the field straightened Zeftabrook (Andrew Gibbons) exploded away to win by more than three lengths in a smart 56.46 seconds.
Foreman Chris Hull said Lees and the stable had always had opinion of the Hinchinbrook filly.
"That was a nice win first up and she is only going to get better as she gets older and matures," he explained.
"She had a jump out leading into this race and was impressive.
"Andrew said that if he could sit off the pace, he thought he could win but she was dominant."
Zeftabrook went into the race first up without a trial after debuting with a third in the Max Lees two- year-old feature at Newcastle last November.
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LUKE Morgan was hoping for some luck with Fussdinado ($8) in the Hictech Wear Technology Benchmark 66 (1000m) and Samantha Clenton was able to deliver for him and win the race with authority.
"I told Sam I only thought she was about 85 percent fit and we would need some luck and we got it," Morgan said.
"She got a lovely cart in to the race off a really good ride and was able to finish it off nicely.
"I think she is a mare that will race best every three weeks or so."
The win gave Fussdinado a perfect record of three starts for three wins at Muswellbrook.
Fussdinado was having her first run after finishing second at Gunnedah in mid-December.
Then mare won by one and a quarter lengths from the Peter Clare trained Dubai Harbour which was resuming after a previous preparation that produced two wins and four placings for the locally-based trainer.
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RODNEY Ollerton and a group of punters were not surprised by the win by Onemore Prince (Tom Sherry) in the Muswellbrook Coal Class One and Maiden (1750m), despite the horse having won only one race from 25 starts.
Despite the horse's seemingly poor form, Onemore Prince was backed in from $51 to start at $19 and was ridden with confidence from his outside barrier.
He won the start and Sherry rode aggressively to go up and sit outside the leader Egyptian Pharaoh to the turn.
In the straight Onemore Prince shot away to win by one-and-three quarter lengths from Midi.
Ollerton said the horse's recent form was better than it looked.
"I thought his last run over 1400m at Scone (when he ran eighth) was pretty good and the step up in distance today suited him," Ollerton said.
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THE Brett Cavanough trained Fender ($10) made it two wins from his only two starts after he overcame a heap of trouble mid-race to score in the Pirtek Muswellbrook Showcase Class Two (1280m).
When Fender won his maiden, he went straight to the lead and never looked likely to get beaten.
In this race Ben Looker tried to settle him just off the speed but Fender was reefing and tearing and then got on to heels.
Looker let him slide forward to sit outside then leader Captain Solo ($8) and they had the race to themselves with Fender just winning in a photo finish.
Foreman Jack Cavanough said Fender had been given a freshen-up after his maiden.
"He had a bit of time in the paddock because we were waiting for the right race to come along," he said.
"He has a lot of upside."
