One race short of his 50th start, Bonnybobbyshaftoe finally broke through for his first win.
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While placed on seven occasions, he always found one a little bit better.
That all changed at Wagga on Friday as Bonnybobbyshatfote ($11.10) took out the opening race.
Junee trainer-driver Trevor White was relieved to finally come out on top.
“Good things come to those who wait,” White said.
“Isn’t that the saying?”
After starting on the inside of the second row, White was able to find clean room coming around the bend to ran past Billy Cruz ($7.80) and win by a half neck.
He thought getting the right run was key.
“He had 35 starts before we got him but he should of won one before,” White said.
“He just has to get the right draw and the right run but he hasn’t been drawing good for a long time.
“If he gets everything to go his way he goes alright.
“Things went his way.”
Since picking up the six-year-old in May the gelding had been placed five times.
White was surprised it has taken so long to breakthrough.
“He ran pretty good when we first got him but just went off the boil with the bad draws,” he said.
“But he’s a lovely horse to get along with.”
White hope it is the first on many wins.
“I just hope he catches the bug now and if he likes winning we will be right.”
Meanwhile, Leeton trainer Phil Maguire trained a double on the nine-race card.
First he scored with Lucky Artist, who was coming off two third placings at Eugowra.
Driven by John Scott, Lucky Artist ($13) ran down $2.30 favourite Major League to win by a head.
The more fancied Maguire runner, Simply Clever ($2.50), finished in fourth, more than 11 metres behind.
The stable then brought up a race-to-race double when Chickies Boy won.
It was the gelding’s first win since August but he hadn’t been outside the top five in six runs in between.
Chickies Boy ($2.20 fav) went on to run down leader Bater House ($21.50) to win by 1.5 metres.
Grenfell trainer Mark Hewitt took out the first of the two Country Series races when Sport Report ($) edged out Lets Katchmeifucan to win by a head.
The mare made it three wins on the trot as she qualified for the final at Menangle later in the month.
Before this season she hadn’t raced since finishing fourth in the Group One NSW Breeders Challenge final as a three-year-old filly.
Shane Hillier took out the second Country Series heat on the card, but it wasn’t with who punters expected.
While Turbo Bromac was sent out a $2.80 favourite, it was Chip Ganassi ($9.70) who won with his stablemate running last.