Newcastle based apprentice Samantha Clenton continued her very successful comeback when she landed a double at the Cessnock meeting on Tuesday. Clenton was aboard the Jason Deamer trained Myboycolly in the Senpos Class 2 Handicap and despite a betting drift the three-year-old stormed home to win by three quarters of a length. In winning Clenton thwarted her boss Kris Lees bid to notch up 250 winners for the season.
Lees trained the 1-35 favourite Sir Winkle which appeared to have the race won until Myboycolly came on the scene late. The winner was very impressive in a first up win at Muswellbrook before being trapped wide at Taree second up.
Clenton led all the way on the 2-90 favourite Palais de Louvre in the Jennings Print Benchmark 58 Handicap. Stephens Jones trains the winner at Scone.
Local trainer Jeremy Sylvester and his best mate Robert Thompson combined to win the opening event the Hungerford Hill Wines Class 1 with Classicman. The latter finished down the course at Gosford three days earlier but Thompson adopted different tactics on Cessnock. The Hall Of Famer took Classicman to the front from the outset and he was never headed. The winner was backed from $31 to $11.
Paul Perry landed a double and both winners were heavily backed. His three-year-old Akheed led throughout to win the Prime Seven Class 1 Handicap. 2-year-old Red Light Dancer broke through for her first win when she led most of the way to win the Yarraman Park Maiden Plate.
Bobby Elissa rode both of Perry’s winners before making it a treble on Cést La Vie in the final event the Pud Davies Maiden.
The longest priced winner at the meeting was the Wyong mare Miss Gigi which won the Reward Hospitality Benchmark 58 Handicap. A notorious slow beginner the $17 chance came from well back with a barnstorming finish to win by a length. Luke Cumberland was aboard the winner and he gave a polished display.
Kris Lees won the 2019-20 Cessnock Trainers Premiership, Chad Lever too out the Jockeys Premiership and Mikayla Weir was the leading apprentice