Crockett keeps filly on short lead; Panella's first double; Mitchell young guns fire

Lonhro's Queen ($5.50) won the 1100m class 2 Highway at Rosehill on Saturday with a strong finish down the outside from well back, beating Scott Singleton's Consenza by 0.72 of a length.

It was the three-year-old's seventh race start and first crack in town. She now has three wins in four starts for Crockett, who took on the Gooree Stud filly after three unplaced efforts for John O'Shea.

Crockett had one eye on next season's Country Championships (1400m) with the daughter of champion sire Lonhro but was wary of pushing her too far.

"There's a 1000-metre Highway in three weeks so we'll just stick to what's working for now," Crockett said on Sunday.

"Obviously, if it gets to a point where we think she needs further and we can stretch her out to 1400, we will, but I'm not going to force the issue.

"If she's a short-course horse like her mother was, there's plenty of races. She's very well bred so even a Saturday win with her is probably worth more than winning the country champs.

"With horses like her, country champs are always in the back of your mind, but I wouldn't take her out in trip just for that, unless her form suggested she needed to.

"She's by Lonhro, so you'd be shocked if she couldn't run 1400. She's got that really relaxed demeanour out on the track."

Saturday's win was a satisfying one for Crockett, who has an enduring link to Gooree. He and his late father, Max, broke in horses for the stud and Lonhro's Queen's dam, Queen Of The Hill, was among those he worked on.

He said connections were inclined to keep Lonhro's Queen racing while sound and in form and he was hoping to eventually find black-type success with her to further boost her broodmare potential.

"Even if she places in one of those down the track, that's probably worth more than she could earn on the track because of her pedigree," he said.

Also at Rosehill, Newcastle-based Dungog apprentice Ben Osmond scored his second Saturday Sydney winner for top trainer Chris Waller.

Osmond drove Robusto ($9) to a narrow, first-up victory in the 1300m benchmark 88 handicap. The three-kilogram claiming apprentice had his breakthrough win in town three weeks earlier on Waller-prepared Kazou.

"Ben's doing a great job," Waller said post-race.

"We were a bit stuck through the winter and he put his hand up to come in one day a week, and Kris Lees allowed him to do it, and as a result he's had quite a few winners for us. He's a good, hard-working young lad.

"It was a lovely ride. He saved a bit of ground, cuddled up and just got out at the right time and got the job done."

HARNESS RACING: Grace Panella will look for a Waratah Series with stable newcomer Peppa Bliss after she helped give her a first training double.

Panella prepared and drove Rose Noire and Peppa Bliss to strong wins at Newcastle on Friday night.

Rose Noire ($14.90) overcame a hoof injury and break on the home bend to storm down the inside late and win by a head. Ex-Queenslander Peppa Bliss ($2.90 fav) later came with a three-wide run to sit outside the leader before prevailing by 3.5m in her first start for Panella.

"She will be suited to Menangle because she has a lot of high speed, so when a lower grade Waratah Series comes up, we'll probably aim for that," Panella said of Peppa Bliss.

"She trialled the week before and she went really good.

"I said to [partner] Blake [Hughes] that I really like her, and she's low in grade, so going into the race, where she would get to was the only problem.

"She lacks a bit of gate speed, but when we lobbed outside of them, she was feeling really good.

"It was a step down in grade for her and she was too strong."

Rose Noire raced behind the leader but broke stride on the home bend when making contact. However, she recovered quickly.

"It was a good win and she ended up lobbing in a good spot which was pretty unexpected," Panella said.

"In recent weeks she's just been drawing terrible barriers and getting too far back, so it worked out perfectly.

"I thought she broke a bit of gear because that's unusual for her, but she just got on a foot and half ripped hers off.

"But she's done that, got pacing and still won, so it was a massive win for her."

Panella, 21, now has 10 horses in work and has moved into own stables while working her team at the Cessnock track.

At Albion Park, Lower Belford trainer Rodney Mercieca-trained Dance With Carmer ($51) was sixth, just 5.5m from the winner, in the group 3 Wayne Wilson Paleface Adios Classic on Saturday night.

GREYHOUNDS: Caves Beach trainer Brian Mitchell expects the progeny of Rattlin' Home to keep producing wins after they gave him a double at The Gardens.

Rattlin' Bye and Rattlin' Red won 5th grade events on Saturday night to continue a strong start from the litter of Aussie Infrared and Mitchell's former racer Rattlin' Home. Mitchell owns and trainers all seven from the litter and all but one have now won a race. Rattlin' Bye has three wins in 10 starts and Rattlin' Red has two from 11.

"Rattlin' Bye is probably the best of those two, but there's a sister [Rattlin' Magic] that's just as good or maybe a little better, but she keeps breaking down," Mitchell said.

"I raced their mother and she won 21 races, and could have won but broke down. I think a couple of these bitches are going to be as good as her. I'm looking forward to the next 12 months with them.

"Rattlin' Bye will go to Sydney for sure in time. The other one is not as strong as her and will stick to the 400s."