Racing: Gavin Groth celebrates Boxing Day double at Quirindi

The six-year old mare's fourth career win completed a double for the day for Groth after Al Guns A Dancer had won the previous race, and continued his emergence from his so-called 'winter from hell'.

Following a lean time of it over winter, he has now had a winner at his last three meetings and his last four starters have all saluted.

Groth's only two runners at the meeting, despite some indifferent form, and a more than year long drought - Al Guns A Dancer's last win was in June 2019, incidentally at Quirindi, and Bring The Joy's August 2019, he thought both had a good chance.

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"We were pretty confident with Bring The Joy," he said.

"We just thought she was suited in that race and could win because she likes the track."

"She's had five starts there for a win and three placings."

Al Guns A Dancer he was more optimistic about.

"On his day he should be competitive in a race like today. But he has just gone off and there's two of him.

"If the right one turned up he was going to be competitive, which was the case," he said.

One of the most impressive things about the win was the way the five-year old responded when put under pressure in the straight.

"He jumped and led and he got headed down the straight. The horse on the outside put half a length on him and he fought back and won by the same margin so that was all really good," Groth said.

He praised the ride of apprentice Casey Waddell.

"Young Casey is riding really well and rides to instructions really well and rode him terrific," he said.

The New Zealander then jumped straight back in the saddle and piloted Bring The Joy to a long neck win.

"She sat second/third last and got all the favours in the straight - a gap opened up and she took the run," Groth said.

The irony of the name wasn't lost on him and he relayed an encounter when when he was filling up with petrol on his way to the meeting.

"A young fella was there and he said 'have you got any runners anywhere Gavin?'," Groth recounted.

"I said 'actually we've got a couple at Quirindi today' and he said 'any chances?' and I said 'Bring The Joy can win' and I said she was aptly named for the time of the year".

Groth is hoping his recent run of success will carry into the new year with three runners slated for Inverell's big New Years Day meeting.

Waddell and Rachael Murray dominated Friday's meeting with Waddell also winning the Cactus Wilson Memorial (1100m) aboard the Craig Martin-trained Ellebeedee while Murray won the Railway Hotel Murrurrundi Cup (2000m) on the Lea Selby-trained The Equinator, having ridden John Ramsey's Barellan Bandit to a neck victory in the opening race of the day.