It is a testament to his strength and determination that saw Maitland trainer and reinsman Guy Chapple make a return to harness racing.
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Chapple has been battling cancer over the past year but it is the horses that have kept him going along with the support of his family.
Chapple had a fairytale return to the Paceway on Monday afternoon when he drove a winner at his first drive back at the Newcastle meeting behind Roclea Image, trained by his son Mitch Chapple, in a mile rate of 1.54.3 for 1609 metres.
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The two-year-old notched up his second career win at his 10th race start.
In Tamworth last week, it was Blake Hughes who tasted success three winning drives at the meeting before producing another driving double at Newcastle on Friday with Rocktagonal from the Darren Elder stables and Kudos Albertina for the Clayton Harmey stables.
The Monday meeting at Newcastle saw Hughes pick up his sixth win in five days of racing with the Richard Williams-trained and Tamworth-based pacer It Ain't Royal.
The win by half head which does not show justice to the effort put in by It Ain't Royal who raced outside the leader and then was placed in a sprint from the 400-metre mark before securing the win over 1609 metres in a mile rate of 1.57.3.
Hughes also teamed up with Williams at Tamworth where he rounded out the meeting last week with the win of Lyndon Creek.
Hughes' other wins came in the opening event behind the Clayton Harmey-trained Kudos Mazdog followed by the win of the Tony Missen-trained The Narrator who was making it back-to-back victories.
The Andy Ison stables are certainly hot to trot at the moment with Miss Serena tearing up the Tamworth Paceway in a cracking mile rate of 1.55.6 for 1609 metres and as a $1.35 race favourite the mare recorded a 36-metre win. Miss Serena has only had three starts for the Ison stables for three wins.
Stablemate Faiselle also produced back-to-back wins with both Miss Serena and Faiselle raced by Sydney owners Leon Jurd and Rex Horne and driven by Tom Ison.
Menangle will be the highlight on the racing schedule on Saturday night when the NSW Breeders Challenge Finals take place with Group 1 status and prizemoney of $150,000 on offer for each Final for the Two-Year-Old Colts and Geldings along with the Three-Year-Old Fillies. This will also be the case for the Three-Year-Old Colts and Geldings and Three Year Old Fillies. The Len Smith Mile will also be run and won with the Group 1 race offering $100,000 in prizemoney.
Of interest in the Two-Year-Old Colts & Geldings Final is My Ultimate Byron and My Ultimate Ronnie who are raced by Tumby Park P/L - former Armidale residents Scott Whitton and Jodie Foster - with both pacers having great form. My Ultimate Byron has had seven race starts for seven wins and so far, has amassed over $100,000 in prizemoney with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding producing his best mile rate of 1.50.9 in his last start win while My Ultimate Ronnie has had six race starts for four wins and a minor placing with the Bettors Delight gelding producing a mile rate of 1.50.4 in his last start and win.
Both pacers are trained by Jarrod Alchin in Sydney who also made the trip out to Bathurst on Wednesday night with another pair of two-year-olds for Tumby Park with the result of another two wins with My Ultimate Billy and My Ultimate Skeeta.
