Brighton trainer Paul Ashwood took two horses to Launceston on Friday night, and he ended up preparing a winning double with Alot Like Pendles and McMayhem.
Both winners were driven by Rohan Hillier, with the pair starting at short odds and proving too strong in their respective races.
Alot Like Pendles was the first leg of the double, taking a National Rating 47 to 50 event (1680m).
The $1.20 favourite showed gate speed to lead before kicking clear from the 400m and scoring by 6.3 metres, rating 1:55.3s.
Ashwood said the four-year-old McWicked gelding had shown ability since arriving at his stable.
“He came down (from Victoria), I worked him for a week, and I decided to put him out for 10 weeks,” Ashwood said.
“He works like a good horse, and he is a nice horse that should go through his grades.
“His first start for me, he got beat going 1:54.7s, and you think, what have we got?”
Ashwood and Hillier teamed up again in the Impress Print Pace (2200m) with McMayhem, who justified his $1.16 quote with a dominant 10-metre win.
The four-year-old Mcwicked entire settled one-one before making his run from around the 450m and raced clear in the home straight in 1:59.6s.
“He was going to race three weeks ago, he drew one but got a cold, so I gave him a week off and eased up on him,” Ashwood said.
“He was a bit stiff in Hobart when he got home in 26s (last quarter) when Shes Allaboutluv beat him.
“He is a nice horse. He has only won four races now, but he is a high-graded horse, and he still has his Vicbred and NSW bonuses to win.
“I’m not sure what Marc (Panton, his owner-breeder) wants to do with him, but he has plenty of races left down here. If we were to turn him out and bring him back for the Cups, I think he will be a good standing start horse.”
The double came at a meaningful time for Ashwood, who described himself as “battling on” while dealing with a health issue.
Concession driver Kayleb Williams landed his first winner since returning to the sulky from injury when Alby Priddy ($7.50) broke through in the Nutrien Ag Supplies Stakes (2200m).
The Malcolm Jones-trained American Ideal gelding was having his 30th start and scored by 19 metres.
“He has been running some handy races in maiden class, but Mal bit the bullet to drop him back into what we thought would be an easier class,” Williams said.
“He got a good run on the pegs, and he let down pretty well.”
Malcom missed the winning drive, electing to play football for the Wesley Vale Football Club.
Earlier, Wee Georgie Wood ($3.80) opened the card on a winning note for trainer Heath Szczypka, while Mark and Wayne Yole later combined for a winning double with Park Lane ($11) and Andaman Bay ($11).
The final race went the way of Keepers Ideal ($2.60), who recorded his first win since April last year for trainer Chris Viney and driver Brodie Davis.
The gelding scored by 11.6 metres in a mile rate of 1:56.0, the second-fastest of the meeting.
Will He Pike ($3.00 fav) produced a last-to-first victory when sweeping around the field before racing away to win race six by 13.9 metres for trainer Bianca Heenan and driver Bronte Miller.
