It was a lean afternoon for Young's big representation at the Riverina Paceway meeting at Wagga on Friday with two minor placings from nine representatives.
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Gracenava trained by Matt McCaffery and the David Micallef trained Cocofollownone both finished third in their respective races.
In the day's third event over 1740 metres Gracenava finished third to the Corey Parker trained The Stain (Amy Day, $1.55).
Starting unwanted in the betting at $81, Gracenava's minor placing would have been as good as a win for her followers, returning $8.60 on the NSW TAB place tote.
Cocofollownoone, trained by David Micallef and driven by Blake Micallef was also sent to the mobile start at good odds, starting an $18 chance before finishing third to Inverloch Dream in the day's fifth event.
Meanwhile Albury driver Brooke McPherson thought she had driven her last race but Ultimate Hughey's affinity for the fairer sex changed all that.
Six months after the birth of daughter Matilda, McPherson returned to winning ways at Riverina Paceway on Friday.
It was just her second drive since becoming a mother, the first being a third with Ultimate Hughey earlier this month.
McPherson was more than happy for partner Tom Gilligan or brother James McPherson do the driving but Ultimate Hughey had other plans.
"I actually didn't want to and was going to retire but this little horse doesn't like Tom or my brother James so I didn't really have a choice," McPherson said.
"If I wanted him to do well I had to get back out there.
"He's had a third and a win so I'm stoked."
The ladies man got his way as he broke through in his third start.
To make it even better McPherson not only trains and drove the three-year-old to victory but she also owns and bred him.
"I also raced his mum so breeding him and getting him to the race is a huge achievement," she said.
"To win is just great."
Ultimate Hughey put in a tough effort to score his first win in the Jilliby Kung Fu HBNSW Stallion Tender Pace (1740m).
After drawing the outside of the front row, Ultimate Hughey was caught wide before eventually sitting outside leader Alice On The Beach
Despite his tough run he still had enough to hold off Needyazell, who recovered from a blunder at the beginning to win by 1.1 metres.
McPherson was surprised by the toughness he showed.
"I was always going to go back as he's never been off the gate but there were two scratchings inside so I thought I would wait to see how the favourite (Needyazell) gets out of gate and weight it up at the start," she said.
"The first 50 was pretty crucial but Jack's galloped so I pressed forward and was wide for a long time.
"I didn't think he was very tough, as he usually follows speed, but he surprised me."
Ultimate Hughey had one start as a two-year-old before getting the ultimate gear change.
McPherson believes having him gelding has been the making of him.
"I tried to keep him a colt as long as I could as he was dead quiet and big and strong," she said.
"It was just unreal and I'm a bit of a sucker and do like a colt in the stable but he was just so unfocused, didn't care about racing and was just silly as.
"So we gelded him late, gave him 10 months off and really forgot about him before bringing him back."
Courtney Rees
Courtney is a sports journalist from The Daily Advertiser focusing on Group Nine, Southern Inland, cricket, harness racing and greyhound racing.
Courtney is a sports journalist from The Daily Advertiser focusing on Group Nine, Southern Inland, cricket, harness racing and greyhound racing.
