A brilliant Nikita Beriman ride helped Baby Jack end a three-year winning drought at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Thursday.
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Baby Jack enjoyed the run of the race and exploded away in the home straight to capture The Daily Advertiser Benchmark 66 Showcase Handicap (2000m).
Baby Jack had not won since the 2016 Corowa Cup but connections were rewarded for their perseverance with a victory at the Wagga carnival.
Wodonga trainer Craig Widdison gave full credit to Beriman for a superb winning ride.
"Gee it was a pretty good ride," Widdison said.
"Barrier 11 and we're in the box seat. It was terrific.
"She told me that's what she was going to do too. I just leave it with Keets, she's a gun."
Baby Jack, raced by Helen McPhee's Jacka Investments, never looked in trouble, running away from $1.95 favourite Dream Builder and Gentleman Max ($16.00).
Widdison said it was hard to enter the race with too much confidence given the horse's lack of wins in recent times.
"I wasn't super confident. He is what he is, he always tries and getting to the 2000 and getting back to the NSW way of going. He seems to like it," he said.
"It's taken me about two and a half years to win a race with this bloke.
"He's run four or five seconds and been harshly weighted all the way along and never dropped in ratings because he's always thereabouts. But he's honest, he tries hard and he's lovely to have around the stables.
"It's good to win a race with him."
The race was also a heat of the Wagga Stayers Series.
With a win under his belt, Widdison will return to Wagga on Gold Cup day with two live chances in the two major races.
He has Banger in the $80,000 MTC Guineas (1600m) and Willi Willi in the $180,000 Wagga Gold Cup (2000m).
"I've got a good chance with Banger in the Guineas and Willi in the Cup," he said.
"I couldn't be happier with both of them going in. I think they're in good order, obviously they're hard races but they'll make their presence felt I think."
Meantime, Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer finished the day with a race-to-race double, taking out the Harrison's Joinery Class Two Showcase Handicap (1400m) with Brix ($3.00).
Tim Clark guided Brix to a strong victory, with Manhattan Zip ($31.00) and Gold Touch ($11.00) filling in the minor placings.
Pfieffer believes Brix is turning into a nice racehorse.
"We were pretty confident coming in. She's a nice horse but she's still a work in progress," Pfieffer said.
"She's still learning her trade and winning is the right way to help educate her going forward.
"She's starting to put a nice record together."
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