SAMANTHA Freeman tasted her maiden victory as a trainer at Carrick Park on Friday afternoon.
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The Beaconsfield trainer, who turns 24 years of age this Christmas, drove Miss Guenevere to glory in the first race of the Carrick Pacing Club’s opening meet this summer.
Freeman owns, trains and drives the six-year-old mare, which has now won just three races in 41 starts.
Its last win came in Hobart on July 28, 2014.
“To be honest I’m not a very confident person but about 50 metres from the line I was fairly confident,” Freeman said.
“To get your first win anywhere is great but to do it at Carrick where I had my first start here 12 months ago is fantastic.
“Her form wasn’t real flash coming in but the way she works at home I was fairly confident she could get the win.”
Rated a rough chance, Miss Guenevere passed the post after 2150 metres in front of Lord Stark and Entreemainsessert.
Westbury trainer Michael Laugher’s seven-year-old gelding Outlaw recorded a fighting win over Regal Idea in the Stakes Division One.
Driver John Walters said he “probably hit the lead too soon” but managed to get the job done after 1670m.
“I knew the horse that nearly got me could sprint but we got there,” he said.
Favourite Tisu Toota driven by Robert Hiller was too good for Sky Tower and Musselroe Bay in race 3 of the nine-event program to take its 132-start career record to 24 wins, 15 seconds and 23 thirds.
Gareth Rattray and trainer Ronald Mansfield teamd up to take out the opening leg of the daily double with Bymarjac from Warrior Mac and Buckingham Boy, who both charged home from the second row.
Rattray also won with Jaccka Len (race 5) and Itz Gemmas Delight (race 7), while brother Todd was successful with Hilagari (race 6).
Metro Mouse was victorious in the first Northern Tasmanian Light Horse Association cup heat.
Another Metro and The Real Reverend finished second and third, respectively, as Rockbank Dancer pinched the second heat and final event of the twilight meeting from Sing No More and Sir Dasher Dee.
The cup final will be run at Launceston on December 11.
The next meeting at Carrick will feature the Meander Valley cup on Tuesday, December 27.