Newcastle's Louise Day made an ideal start to her quest for the Sydney apprentices' premiership with a double on Saturday at Randwick, while also opening the door to a potential ride in the $1.3 million Kosciuszko.
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Day followed a treble at Warwick Farm on Wednesday to finish the metropolitan season with wins on the Matt Dale-trained Man Of Peace and Joe Pride's De Grawin on Saturday.
The three-kilogram claiming apprentice, who is indentured to leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, had three wins on Pride-trained horses during the week.
"Thank you to Joe Pride, he's given me some really nice rides in the last few days and his team is absolutely flying," Day told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"He's ended the season well and started it well.
"The horses I'm getting on now, they are quality animals and obviously with the three kilos you can afford to give them a bit of a dig earlier and they keep going, so I'm very happy."
Day is aiming for the city apprentices' title this season given her strong finish to 2019-20 in town.
The Irishwoman could also have a ride in October's The Kosciuszko (1200m) after a third front-running win aboard Man Of Peace. Canberra-based Dale said he would be chasing a spot in the country-only feature after Saturday's 2.3-length win over 1300m.
"He's just relishing the ground and loving life right now," Day said.
"Matt's freshened him up and there's no reason why he couldn't run a 1200 or get into a Kosziousko the way he's going. He was keen in front and he's definitely sharp enough for it."
Scone trainer Scott Singleton was another winner at Randwick, taking out the class 3 Highway Handicap with Niccirose.
"It was good because he had 12 months off there after he won at Wyong, and it looked like we had a pretty handy horse," Singleton said.
"He's got a big screw in his knee, and problems with both knees. The vets didn't think he'd get back but he's been as sound as."
On Sunday, Paul Perry-trained Nothing Too Hard scored a shock win in the Bengalla Cup at Muswellbrook.
A $51 chance, six-year-old Nothing Too Hard was resuming off a 17-week spell and two last-placed trial efforts into the 1280m feature.
Under jockey Chris O'Brien, Nothing Too Hard was third-last on the turn but took an inside run to beat Sedition by a length. The win was part of a double for Perry, who had Chasing Comets break his maiden.
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