Trainer Justin Bowen nabs maiden double; driver Holly Bigeni gets first win

Veteran Newcastle jockey Darryl McLellan drove Read 'Em And Weep ($3.10) to an 1.45-length win in the first, a country boosted maiden handicap (1280m). It was the four-year-old mare's 15th start.

Bowen stable apprentice Ella Drew then bucked the trend on the heavy track in the last to keep Hot Wok ($16), another progeny of Churchill, near the inside rail and claim the benchmark 58 handicap (1280m).

Drew took the four-year-old gelding to the lead from gate 10 and he kicked clear in the straight to win by 1.62 lengths.

"It means a lot actually. It's my first double, so certainly savouring the moment, and it was good to do it with Ella as well," Bowen said. "She rode to instruction and also sort of took a risk coming up the fence there and it paid off."

Reece Jones drove Cessnock galloper Touch Of Navy ($3.60 favourite) to a narrow win in the Bengalla Cup (1280m).

"He's going well but I was a bit worried today with the month between runs, but it didn't seem to bother him that much," Bannister said.

"I wasn't very confident today. I thought he'd run top three, but the month between runs on a sticky track was a bit of a worry."

Scone trainer Brett Cavanough also prepared a winning double, taking him past 80 winners nationwide this season. Cavanough leads the NSW country premiership on 62 winners, five clear of Annabel Neasham, with two days remaining.

Soaring Phoenix ($3.20 favourite) was a dominant winner of the country boosted class 1 handicap (1000m), while Dravid held off stablemate Naftali by half a length in the 2YO maiden handicap (1000m).

Newcastle Harness Racing Club employee Holly Bigeni was savouring her first winning drive on Monday on her home track after Cloudin Up was strong late.

Bigeni, whose is a trainee track curator at Newcastle Paceway, owns the Denis Maricic-trained Cloudin Up, which she took three wide early to sit outside the leader before the 10-year-old ground out a 3.6-metre win as a $26 chance in race six. The breakthrough success came with the 22-year-old's 41st race drive.

"I had no licence when I bought him four years ago and now I've got my first win with him, so it's good," Bigeni said.

"I thought I was going to be in a bit of trouble sitting in the chair. I thought a couple of others would be too strong, but he got there, which was good."

It was a first win for Cloudin Up since September 2022.

Bigeni grew up in harness racing through her father, Michael, a former trainer, and has been working at Newcastle Paceway for the past 18 months.