Acheson and Missile Leader combined for a unique quinella at Goulburn on Sunday, finishing first and second in the 1400m Benchmark 66 Handicap.
Both trained by Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden at Canberra, the pair are half-brothers, being out of Virginia Breeze, with winner Acheson (Jess Brookes, $7.50) by Churchill and runner-up Missile Leader (Tyler Schiller, $8.50) by Smart Missile.
Racing in the back-half of the field, Brookes gave Acheson every chance before the pair exploded to the front on the Goulburn straight for a 1.5 length win from the fast-finishing Missile Leader, which stormed home from last.
The pair have now won a combined $220,000 for connections, with 5YO Acheson a five-time winner, earning connections $119,655, while 6YO Missile Leader is a four-time winner, earning $99,410.
“She (Virginia Breeze) was a very exciting young horse, but unfortunately, she went amiss and had quite a short career,” Snowden said.
“You can see her type in all of them; she was a big-shouldered horse and nice mare; we’ve had quite a few of them through the stable, and they have all gone well.
“Acheson is a smaller horse than Missile Leader, who’s a bigger, heavier horse, and he’s had a few issues with injuries, but he’s running really nice races this preparation.”
Acheson had no luck leading into Sunday’s race, with recent meetings at Orange, Bathurst, and Nowra postponed due to conditions.
“That was an added race to the program, which was really good and suited both of them,” Snowden said.
“We were even joking about it before the race, and with Acheson missing so many races of late, it was nice that he found the right one and the result went his way.”
It was a mixed day for the stable at Goulburn, but another runner that caught the eye was Capital Babe, which almost won the 1300m Super Maiden Handicap.
Well-supported into $9, Shaun Guymer was in the saddle as the pair flashed late, beaten only 0.23 of a length.
Dryden and Snowden will turn their attention to meetings at Canberra on Wednesday and the Sapphire Coast on Friday, hoping to continue a good season.
Words: Jeff Hanson
Image: Bradley Photos