RACING
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Tony McEvoy unearthed a potential staying star as the multi-state trainer bagged a hat-trick of wins at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
With just three runners on the day, the stable went home with a perfect record after Eye In The Sky (race 1), Loncava (race 2) and Streaming By (race 5) all got the prize in front of a healthy crowd at the Illawarra Turf Club.
Streaming By ($1.80) was perhaps the most impressive of the trio, putting on a terrific staying effort in a Class 1 (2400m) to easily dispatch of his rivals by a widening margin of 2.3 lengths.
"He is a really nice horse," jockey Grant Buckley beamed.
"He got a bit back off the speed but really chased hard to the line."
McEvoy had stepped the gelding up considerably in distance from a 1800m race at Randwick-Kensington on October 6.
The additional trip certainly suited the British import, who was dropped to the rear of the field by Buckley immediately after the jump.
He waited patiently to present the hotly-tried favourite and made his move on the turn before finally reaching the lead at the 100m and hitting the line strongly.
Love Takes Over was second while pacemaker Heisan Honor finished third.
"I thought he was a class above them," Buckley said.
"They rolled along a little bit but we had a nice trail. I popped out at the 600m to stay out of traffic and he was too good at the end."
The win came after Eye In The Sky ($1.80) and Loncava ($3.80) made it a perfect start to the day by claiming the opening two races on the card.
Unlike his five-length romp a fortnight ago, Eye In The Sky was made to work a lot harder for his second successive triumph but young jockey Shaun Guymer was able to hold off a stern challenge from Jeff Penza on Best Dance Yet.
"He was impressive. He is not a big horse but he had to go up two grades, up two kilos and up in distance which is never easy," stable foreman Barry Wintel said.
"I thought when that other horse started to come he showed good fight and was never going to get beaten and when drawing away again on the line."
The stable, and Guymer, quickly had a race-to-race success when Loncava successfully claimed the Class 1 (1400m), albeit on protest.
Gatto Mondo was adjudged by to have hampered Loncava in a wayward run down the straight which saw the pair make contact several times.