Albany trainers Ashleigh Woollett, Indianna Weinert and Samantha Faithfull made strong starts to the new Great Southern racing season at Percy Spencer Racecourse on Sunday.
Woollett, Weinert and Faithfull each claimed a win on the seven-race card, while Albany jockey Tash Faithfull ended the day with a winning treble.
Weinert, who had an impressive Saturday metro victory with Smooth Chino, made it a successful weekend as WA debutant Cavill Tycoon claimed the West Cape Howe Handicap (1000m).
A former Victoria galloper, Cavill Tycoon jumped a $3.60 favourite for hoop Alex Hearn and sat in the leading division, before holding out the fast-finishing Marybee ($20) by a long head.
The five-year-old gelding came to Weinert’s stables from trainers Patrick and Michelle Payne, having won one of his 11 starts in Victoria.
Woollett also started the new season with a bang, as Optimal broke through for a deserved maiden win with Amy Jo Hayes in the saddle.
A 20-start maiden until his win on Sunday in Albany, Optimal sat just off the leader Crashed And Burned, and despite laying outwards in the home straight, got the job done by a long neck.
Optimal was a $6.50 chance, one of three Woollett runners on opening day, and got the better of Crashed And Burned ($4.80) in the final 200m of the Wellington & Reeves Maiden (1000m), while American Que Tee ($5) was third.
Woollett had Secret Stones run second to Sabino later on in the day, and then stayer Magic Mikey produced a ripping first-up run to be forth over 1500m.
Sabino got up at $14, saluting for trainer Paul Tapper and apprentice jockey Rocky Cheung.
Cheung had Sabino travelling well in running, before pouncing in the home straight to win the Graham Manley Auto Repairs Handicap (1100m) by a short head over Secret Stones, who jumped a $9.50 chance.
Tash Faithfull landed a treble after riding Hyperreal, Wineaclocksumwhere and Our Nemesis to victory.
Hyperreal broke his maiden status at his 22nd career start for trainer Misty Bazeley, with Tash Faithfull skipping clear in the straight to win by more than two lengths over Questioneverything in the 1240m maiden to start the new season.
She then teamed up with her mum Samantha Faithfull, as Wineaclocksumwhere ($6.50) led throughout to claim a 1.8-length win over $2.15 favourite Cheryl’s Shout in the Albany Stockfeeds Handicap (1240m).
Our Nemesis then proved too strong in the last race of the meeting for trainer Dave Hopperton, with Tash Faithfull booting the six-year-old gelding to a fourth career win as they edged out Sacred Oath and Cape Doctor.
Cape Doctor started as a favourite from the Weinert stable and wasn’t afforded many favours in the straight, flashing home late to finish 1½ lengths from the winner.
Paddy’s Flyin’ was the other winner on the card, with rider Chris Nicoll making great use of barrier one to sit in the perfect spot in running before holding out The Spruiker in the run to the line, with the official margin a short half-head.
