The $30,000 Jackson Motor Co 3YO Cup fell to favourite Nova Clause who is trained by 35-year-old John Blacker. The big win came 24 hours after his father George and Maskiell won the $35,000 Country Club Casino Tasmanian Newmarket with Royal Rambo.

Before yesterday Nova Clause was rated the best three-year- old in Tasmania and she didn't dent her reputation one bit with a runaway three-length win.

Maskiell always had the filly in the box seat and when he hooked her to the centre of the track in the straight she sprinted away.

``It was a great effort as I don't really think she is a 1200m horse, she is going to be better suited at 1400 to1600m,'' Maskiell said.

``I am certain she is good enough to win interstate but from a personal point of view I just hope she stays in Tasmania where I can ride her,'' he said.

Maskiell said Nova Clause deserved to be rated the best three-year- old in Tasmania as she had been able to beat the best of the colts yesterday.

For Maskiell it was his second successive win in the Jackson 3YO Cup as he was aboard 1997 winner Georgia Mist.

Blacker said that the Woodlawn Park Tasmanian Guineas (1600m) at Mowbray on Boxing Day is one of the main targets for her.

Blacker trains Nova Clause for a syndicate which includes himself, David Krushka, Geoff Whelan, David Beattie and Kim Hughes.

The same syndicate had success with Mermaid Moon and Blacker selected Nova Clause from a paddock at Carrick's Armidale Stud for them.

``Nova Clause is a half-sister to Mickleborough who I used to train and that is one of the reasons I chose her,'' he said.

Nova Clause is by the Armidale based sire Weasel Clause who provided the quinella yesterday with 150-1 outsider Civic Clause running second.

Nova Clause has now raced seven times for four wins and three seconds and among her two-year-old victories was the Fosters' Classic in May when she beat Sedation.

Winning big races is also becoming a habit for John Blacker.

He won the 1998 Devonport Cup with Pral D'Or in January, made several successful interstate raids with Lady Rialton and owns Whisky Glow who won at Flemington on Oaks Day.

Yesterday was the seventh running of the Jackson Motor Company 3YO Cup and Tasmanian Turf Club chairman, Ald. Margot Smart said the race had risen from an ordinary three-year-old handicap to be one of the most important on the TTC's calendar.Tough stayer Pinterry Buoy is on target for the $39,000 Queen's Cup (2100m) at Elwick in December after his easy win in the Nichols Sound And Communication Handicap (1600m).

Pinterry Buoy was having his first start since a Victorian campaign and he will round off his preparation for the Queen's Cup in the Hobart Turf Club Cup (1920m) at Elwick on December 12.

Deloraine trainer Terry Roles said that Pinterry Buoy had been racing well in Victoria until he picked up a minor bug.

``The spring carnival horses were then also on the scene so I thought it was time to bring him home,'' he said.

Pinterry Buoy (14-1) was having his first start since October 30 and he gave nothing else a chance to win by two-and-a-half length over Bluetinsk (10-1) and Favedere (9-1).George Blacker continued his successful weekend at Mowbray when former NSW galloper Mr Beak led all the way in the Ford Mondeo 3 & 4Y0 Maiden Plate (1200m).

Mr Beak (5-2) was having just his second start in Tasmania after previously racing at country meetings in NSW.

Mr Beak showed the same speed as his sire Zeditave to score impressively over favourite Cause A Storm (2-1) and Lake Ball (7-2).

Unfortunately Mr Beak pulled up sore in the near foreleg after the race.

On Saturday Blacker took the feature race at Mowbray when Royal Rambo survived in a photo finish to win the $35,000 Country Club Tasmanian Newmarket.Bill Ryan was another Longford trainer tasting success over the weekend.

Fresh from a double with Another Sadie and Taroona Bay on Saturday Ryan made it three for the weekend when flashy chestnut Red Sands won the second division of the Kia Mentor Maiden Plate (1200m).

Red Sands was having just his second start in a race after showing up at his debut when third behind El Mirer at Mowbray on October 31.

After jumping well jockey Simon Snell was content to have Red Sands just behind the leaders and the four-year-old responded when asked for an effort in the straight.

Red Sands (3-1) battled on gamely to beat Martinez (4-1) and Riverson (14-1).Vastly improved mare Dale's Gift maintained her unbeaten record in this preparation with an easy win in the Kia Mentor Handicap (1200m).

Trained at Longford by Ian Hay, Dale's Gift won first -up at Elwick a fortnight ago and repeated the dose yesterday.

On the line Dale's Gift (9-2) had two lengths to spare over topweight Hi Ho (6-1) and favourite Fall's Church (9-4). Hi Ho may have been a shade unlucky as she was slightly slow to begin and then raced wide for most of the way. Elwick-trained Mr Ambrose was led back to scale by jockey Rochelle Shortis after pulling up sore in his off foreleg.The weekend's racing at Mowbray was sponsored by the Jackson Motor Company with nominated jockeys carrying the sponsor's colours of white with a Jackson Ford logo and omen punters would have been rewarded in the P&V Burt Pty Ltd Building Contractors Handicap.

Jockey Glenn Smith wore the sponsor's colours on 16-1 outsider Shalouise who scored in a photo finish over Swan Reach (20-1) and Somerled Square (16-1).

Shalouise was a last start winner at Spreyton on November 15 yet despite her good form she paid $28.70 on SuperTAB.