For Gunnedah-based horse trainer, Sally Torrens, Saturday began about as well as it could have.
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![Away: Sligo Queen edges out her competitors after a thrilling comeback to win the Vale Terry Burke Maiden Plate - a win which meant the world to trainer Sally Torrens. Photo: Bradley Photos. Away: Sligo Queen edges out her competitors after a thrilling comeback to win the Vale Terry Burke Maiden Plate - a win which meant the world to trainer Sally Torrens. Photo: Bradley Photos.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/6139b5b4-93fb-4ff0-b17c-52b05947b181.JPG/r672_445_3462_2374_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She had two horses running in the first race of the meet at her home track, Sligo Queen and Hay There McNair.
The race itself was named the Vale Mr Terry Burke Class 1 and Maiden Plate, in honour of the former Tamworth Jockey Club president who passed away last month after a lifetime involved in the sport.
"I've only been in the thoroughbred game for the last eight years, but Terry welcomed us straight away," Torrens said.
"He was always one of those guys that you look forward to seeing, especially at Tamworth - he was always there. Just a wealth of knowledge and a champion man."
Ridden by Billy Cray, Sligo Queen got off to a slow start in the 1600 metre race, but stormed back late to claim the win by over a length.
The four-year-old mare put a scare into Torrens by falling back a long way in the field before blitzing her way to first place, but the drama only made the win more satisfying, particularly with Burke's name on the plate.
"I was honoured to win it with his name on that race, because he was an absolute gentleman of the game," Torrens said.
"It was a big one, to win one named after him."
After a momentous win at their home track, Torrens is now looking forward to a big winter season for Sligo Queen.
"Coming into winter, we're hoping for wet tracks because she definitely loves the soft tracks," she said.
"She's a very easy horse to train. She never goes to the track, she just pokes along here at home and is happy doing that, then she has a race start every fortnight and she's happy."
Torrens backed up her initial success almost immediately, when another of her horses, Craig's My Boy, finished second in the very next race.
She has not trained the six-year-old gelding for long, but he has shown ample promise in what time they have spent together. The key for him will be finding more consistency with his results on the track.
"He's a horse that's been around a little bit," Torrens said.
"We've had three starts with him, and we've had two seconds. Potentially he's a really good horse, but he doesn't always take his training to the races. He's a little bit hit-and-miss at the races."
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