[PHOTO: Western Racepix]
Dan and Ben Pearce prepared a winning double at Monday’s transferred Toodyay to Belmont meeting, including a dominant victory by Dun With The Blues in the TABtouch Toodyay Cup (2200m).
Backed into raging $1.60 favouritism, the Dundeel four-year-old continued her promising progression when finishing with a barnstorming run from the rear of her seven-horse field to bolt in by just over two lengths with Clint Johnston-Porter aboard.
Truly Reliable ($12) finished second, with a further one-and-three-quarter lengths back to Frequent Friar ($21) in third place.
The career-best win takes Dun With The Blues’ career record to eight starts for three wins and four second placings.
Earlier in the day saw Johnston-Porter land the first of his two winners for Pearce Racing on the day when getting Thinking Game ($5) home for her first race victory in the R and L Hiab Services Maiden Handicap (1650m).
In a great piece of tactical riding by Johnston-Porter, he peeled the So You Think mare out from her second-last position in running to make a mid-race move and race to the lead passing the 700m.
She kept finding in the straight was able to hold off Shakerato ($5.50) by a half-length, with Moon Dog ($3.20) a further two lengths back in third.
The lightly-raced six-year-old has now had seven career starts for a win and two minor placings.
The Pearce stable will saddle-up seven runners over the next three days, including Acromantula in Friday night’s $750,000 Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.