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Stable favorite Eerised responded to some “tough love” to provide Mitchell and Desiree Kearney with another brilliant result at Muswellbrook today.

A homebred and bearing Desiree's name (spelt backwards), Eerised  was the Hawkesbury husband and wife training partnership's second winner at big odds in recent weeks.

A $31 outsider, the seven-year-old snatched today's Benchmark 58 Handicap (1500m) away from $3.10 favorite Santa Margherita with a determined finished very wide on the track.

Stablemate Heza Gentleman  was at similar odds when he gave Team Kearney a memorable city breakthrough at Warwick Farm on August 12.

Eerised won his first two races (at Bathurst and Hawkesbury in February and May 2017 respectively when prepared by Mitch Kearney) before subsequently being switched to Desiree's uncle, Port Macquarie trainer Steve Brewer.

"His form had tapered off and we thought a change of scenery might help," Mitch Kearney explained on his way home from Muswellbrook.

"Steve did a great job, but we decided to bring him home for another preparation after he had contested a Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m) at the Grafton carnival in early July.

"We bred Eerised (by Widden Valley from the Tubougg mare Fabulash, who won two races including a city victory at the picnic meeting at Rosehill Gardens on Melbourne Cup day 2009), and the old boy is part of the furniture.

"It's great to have him back and in winning form."

Team Kearney trialled Eerised without blinkers at Hawkesbury on August 17 to substitute for what should have been a resumption at the washed out Cessnock meeting that day.

"The 1000m trial was too short, but he warmed up nicely at the end when seventh to the smart sprinter Rare Episode," Mitch Kearney said.

"Whilst we don't work our horses hard, we probably haven't worked any horse as hard as we have with Eerised and he has responded.

"He has been going really well at home, and I told the owners I thought he had a chance at good odds."

The Kearneys also relied on a proven formula by calling up talented apprentice Jean Van Overmeire to renew a previously successful association with the gelding.

"Jean rode Eerised in his earlier wins at Bathurst and Hawkesbury," Mitch Kearney said. "He gets on well with Eerised and getas the best out of him.

"I told him before the race today that the horse was going well at home, and could run well if he put in.

"Jean said he would try to get him to the outside in the straight, and that's exactly what he did."

. Team Kearney is chasing another success with Heza Gentleman on home turf on Saturday.

Grant Buckley will ride the four-year-old gelding in the David Dwyer Bookmaker Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m).