3 minute read
Local trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith celebrated his 62nd birthday with his first win of the year at Hawkesbury on Tuesday.
The five-time Group 1 winning trainer has only a small team in work these days and nothing of the calibre of his former stars Angst, Landsighting and Famous Seamus.
So his success with On Angels Wings in Tuesday's Hawkesbury Race Club Motel Benchmark 64 Handicap (1800m) was pretty special.
The Pendragon five-year-old scooted along the inside in the straight to score easily and give Mayfield-Smith his fifth winner this season but his first since Polhampton scored at Hawkesbury last November.
Mayfield-Smith, who has long held a No 1 trainer's licence, had a confident feel after On Angels Wings turned in a superb gallop last weekend.
"He ran his last furlong in a tick over 11 seconds, it was winning work," he said.
Mayfield-Smith has only eight horses in work and regular winners have been hard to come by.
"It's frustrating of course, but you have to be realistic," he said. "That's the way it is, and you can only do the best you can with what you've got."
On Angels Wings has started 26 times - 17 of them at Hawkesbury, where he has recorded his three career wins and as many seconds.
On Angels Wings began his career with another Hawkesbury trainer Scott Singleton before joining Mayfield-Smith's stable.
"He had to have a throat operation after I got him and the problem was so bad the vets weren't certain he would race again," he said.
"Obviously, I'm happy that we've won another race with him, but I'm not certain where we go with him next.
"His Benchmark rating is so low that it's hard to get starts in town over suitable distances."
On Angels Wings, one of the biggest horses in training, stands nearly 17 hands and weighs around 540kg.
By comparison, Night Flyer is the smallest horse in Brad Widdup's Hawkesbury stable but there's no doubting her toughness as the 2YO filly showed when she won her maiden at Tuesday's meeting.
Her easy victory at her third race start meant a lot to Hawkesbury's leading trainer as it gave him a breakthrough success for Hunter Valley nursery Vinery Stud.
"Night Flyer is the smallest horse in the stable," Widdup said. "She weighed 429kg when she went to the races.
"I've got 10 yearlings in work at present, and she's smaller than all of them but she is a tough little filly, and enjoys her work.
"Putting blinkers on her certainly helped and she handled the heavy track without any problems.
"I'll give her a few easy days to get over the run, and then make up my mind about her immediate future.
"It is tempting to have a crack at a Saturday race in town whilst she is racing well and the tracks are rain-affected."
Night Flyer was Widdup's 38th winner this season
