It’s onwards and upwards for the stakes performed Tarzino mare Mountain Guest after she successfully returned to competition at Kembla Grange.
The John Sargent-trained representative hadn’t raced since April, but a couple of Randwick trials had her ready to resume over 1400 metres on Saturday.
She settled toward the back of the field before rider Lee Magorrian angled her wide at the top of the straight and the four-year-old rounded off strongly in the run home.
While winless in seven outings last season, Mountain Guest had placed multiple times and showed her quality in the autumn when she finished runner-up in the G3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick.
She is a daughter of the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Eleesha, a sister to the dual Group 1 winner Fashions Afield, whose first foal Imelda Mary was a two-time Group 2 winner.
Tarzino’s associate sire Redwood also chimed in with a brace of winners at Hawera on Sunday with The Dutch Dame and Half Of Nothing giving the Westbury Stud stallion an early season double.
Trained by Rob Patterson, The Dutch Dame had finished runner-up at her two previous appearances and went one better with ease over 2100 metres.
“She deserved it and it was great to finally get that win with her,” Patterson said.
“I took the blinkers off and put the shadow roll on and I think that made a bit of difference. It made her find the line better instead of her head going up. She is a bit of a quirky horse.”
The Dutch Dame will be back in action in a fortnight’s time on her home course.
“There is a special maiden for her back in New Plymouth on Saturday week, so we will go back there. Hopefully she picks up a bit of confidence from this win,” Patterson said.
Half Of Nothing credited his Stratford-based conditioner Sarah Hurrell with her first training success when she upset her Rating 65 sprint rivals.