Group races in Queensland are on the radar for Yoha after she delivered a first city winner for young Maitland trainer Mitch Chapple at Menangle on Saturday night.
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The five-year-old mare, already a winner at Menangle last year for trainer Jason Grimson, was strong late to edge out Yarraman Bella by a half neck in the Ladyship Pace as a $6 chance.
Driver Cam Hart took Yoha to an early lead but soon handed up to Yarraman Bella to gain a cosy run behind the pace before beating her in a match race in the straight. It was a memorable moment for 24-year-old Chapple.
"Last night was pretty hectic because she still had to swab and all that, but it's kind of surreal now that I've trained a winner at Menangle," Mitch said on Sunday. "Not many people get to do that, so it's pretty cool.
"She's in good form and Cam drove her a treat, everything went to plan and we were too good.
"That was 13 wins for her and she's only ever won two races from behind, the one last night and the other at the start of this prep, so it's not her normal game plan but it's starting to work."
He said feature races in Queensland were now a possible next target.
"The next couple of weeks she might stay at Newcastle or head back down to Menangle, but there's also a couple of nice mares races in Queensland, so we've got to sum up where she's at and work out what she's got to do to get into them," he said. "But those group races are on the radar now."
At Newcastle on Friday night, Sawyers Gully trainer Adam Ruggari won with Gotta Kick and Geraldton Wax.
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