A few drops of morning rain seemed an ominous sign, but it proved to be a good one for Canberra trainer Gratz Vella, who won the first two races at his home track on Thursday.
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Vella's Keep 'Em Guessin' stormed up the middle of the track to salute in the benchmark 65 handicap (1200 metres) and then Orange Time held off a couple of fast finishers for victory in the class 2 handicap (1200m).
It was Keep 'Em Guessin's second win on the trot after the seven-year-old mare saluted at Cootamundra in the benchmark 60 handicap (1200m) 2½ weeks ago.
The daughter of Adam had a couple of wins last preparation in the autumn, but Vella said she "doesn't like the wet" and struggled when the sting went out of the tracks.
It's why he was worried when he noticed the weather in the morning, but was relieved when it didn't amount to anything but a dry track at Canberra's Thoroughbred Park.
The Richard Clarke-trained Red Fender ($2.80 favourite) jumped to the lead from the barriers and held on to it going into the home turn, only for Sammi Jain to take over at the top of the home straight.
Keep 'Em Guessin' stormed down the middle to win by a ½ neck from Sammi Jain, with Unyielding third and Red Fender fading to fourth.
"She's taken a bit of time to mature. Last time in we won two races with her and she was hitting her straps and then we got the wet weather - and she doesn't like the wet," Vella said.
"So we sent her out [to the paddock for a spell] a happy horse and she's come back this time in and she's bigger and stronger.
"As soon as the clouds were showing I thought, 'Hello, we're going to be in trouble'."
Vella then went from the hunter to the hunted in the second race, when Orange Time got out to a slight lead at the top of the straight.
But Norm Gardner's Zuzzudio and the Joseph Ible-trained Major Sharpe flashed down the outside only to fall narrowly short of the Bon Hoffa mare.
It gave Vella a running double to start the day.
Vella said he might take Keep 'Em Guessin' to Sydney for a mare and fillies race next start if she pulls up well.
She's run in a couple of Highway Handicaps last summer and he felt she could be up to city class.
"With mares you've just got to keep them happy, pick the right races for them. I think there's a race in Sydney, a fillies and mares race, coming up," Vella said.
"If she pulls up alright we might attack there. She could be a [city class horse]. I took her last time in to the Highway twice, so she could be there."
