Hillier doubles up at Wagga as track holds up to weather

Despite wet weather in the lead up, and then during the meeting, the problematic surface was able to handle the rain to ensure the meeting proceeded.

Leeton trainer Kim Hillier scored a double as Jodis Choice kicked the meeting off with a breakthrough victory.

It was the gelding's first win since April last year.

Ending a string of 43 races without a victory, Jodis Choice led all the way.

After being placed in two of his first seven starts for the Hillier stable, Shane Hillier admitted he's been a tough one to crack.

"He's been a real headache to be honest, and he's got plenty of tricks," Hillier said.

"He wants to pull real hard so we've been trying to keep him settled and relaxed.

"They sat off him today and he relaxed, was comfortable, got a couple of cheap quarters and was able to slip a nice quarter home."

Turbo Bromac then made it a double for the husband and wife combination as he held on for a narrow victory.

Hillier was pleased to see him bounce back after disappointing last time out.

"I said to Alannah (Pitt) to hold the front and he was lucky to hold on," he said.

Meanwhile Todd Prest bounced back to winning ways after being involved in a three-horse fall at Leeton on Tuesday.

After Love At First Bite galloped and fell shortly after the start, Prest and Leeton trainer Paul Symes responded as Beau Brown finished off too strongly for his rivals after resuming from a let-up.

Wagga's meeting a fortnight ago was abandoned without a race being run after just over five millimetres fell on race day.

However despite almost 17mm falling in the two days leading up to the meeting, and another 3.8mm on Friday, the surface stood up to the racing.

Peter McRae drove in five races across the program, including the first and last.

He was pleased with how the surface played.

"The track actually held up with the rain we got pretty well," McRae said.

"The surface itself was pretty hard, the horses weren't getting into it too much so I was pretty happy with it considering the amount of rain we've had recently."

He thought the hardness of the track helped rain wash off the track instead of settle on it.

While works are expected to take place before Wagga hosts group three racing later in the year.

However Wagga chief executive Graeme White was pleased the work done to prepare the surface, and some luck with the weather, ensured the whole meeting went ahead.

"The big difference was we didn't have the real lead up rain like we did two weeks ago," White said.

"The track wasn't wet to start with."

While there were heavy showers later in the day, they weren't long ones.

"We got it for the last couple with a few heavy showers but it sort of stopped straight away so we were very lucky to get through as it turned out," he said.

"It is crucial to have these meetings on as the industry relies on it.

"You have to make sure you race whenever you can and we were fortunate with the weather."

Wagga races again next Friday while Young holds their final meeting for the season on Tuesday.

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