Rod Northam eyes Country Championships with Rosehill winner The Dramatist

The Dramatist, having his fifth consecutive start in the country-only Saturday races in town, came from midfield in the 1500m class 3 to hit the front at the 150m mark and cruise clear for a 2.65-length win.

It was a third victory in 11 starts for the five-year-old Shamus Award gelding, which was unplaced in two Highway Handicaps at the end of last preparation before a second at Rosehill and eighth at Newcastle in them this time in.

"He's always shown good ability," Northam said on Sunday.

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"He just probably didn't handle the wet tracks last prep when he had a go at it. He's much better on top of the ground.

"He was good first-up over 1200 then at Newcastle he never saw any daylight at all. He just had no luck at all and yesterday he got all the luck.

"They run along at a good tempo for him to give him a chance to get to the outside and let down. And the 1400-1600 is probably his go.

"He won pretty well on the line, it was really encouraging and hopefully we can win another one."

Northam was now eyeing autumn's Country Championships series with The Dramatist. The $500,000 final (1400m) is at Randwick on April 1.

"I think he will be better when he gets to 2000," he said.

"We'll work our way around that and try to give him a shot at the Country Championships. We might give him a let-up, maybe after one more run, but that's an option.

"He's won at 1400 at Tamworth, so it would be worth giving him a shot at it. If we get a dry track, that will bring him into the race."

Northam also has Bootscooter targetting the Hunter and North West Country Championship heat at Tamworth on March 5.

"She's been in the last couple of weeks and she'll head towards there as well," he said.

"She likes wet track, so it gives me two options."

The Dramatist's win was part of a winning double on the program for Northam's former apprentice, Reece Jones, who is now based with Randwick trainer John O'Shea.

Jones' other winner came with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Vreneli in the benchmark 78 handicap (1200m).

"It's great for him," Northam said.

"He's going well. He's probably been frustrated the last couple of months but he's been riding well without getting much luck. He got some yesterday, which was nice."

Also on Saturday, Newcastle trainer Kris Lees had a win at Doomben with Ucalledit.

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