The red-hot combination of trainer Jo-Anne Leeson and eight-year-old gelding Tindal continued their top form when they combined to win the Manilya Sprint (1200m) at Carnarvon on Sunday.
Tindal, who won a Listed race in Melbourne as a three-year-old, has been a revelation at Carnarvon this season and extended his unbeaten sequence to three when he strided to a comfortable victory in the $25,000 feature.
Tindal was given a top run from Perth jockey Mitchell Pateman who settled in third position before dashing the favourite clear in the straight and holding out Navello who chased hard from the rear of the field but was never in danger of reeling in the winner.
Tindal, who improved his strike rate to eight wins from 50 starts and boosted stake earnings to $321, 860, defeated Navello by 1 ¼ lengths. Holding on for third over stable mate Neverbeenworse was pacesetter Iconoclast.
Tindal capped a top day for Leeson and Pateman after they scored with Tell Me This in the IGA Carnarvon Handicap (1600m).
The four-year-old son of Hold That Tiger had been knocking on the door of victory after two previous placings and prised it open with a dominant display.
Tell Me This, relishing a step-up to the mile, shook off Light That Smile to win by 1 ½ lengths with a large gap to Alumnus in third place.
Leeson has enjoyed a stellar start to the Carnarvon season, training a double in each of the first three meetings, and her six wins has given her a strong lead in the trainer’s premiership.
Ben Kennedy shared the riding spoils with Pateman. The talented jockey lifted the Catherine Godden-trained Catching Fire to a tight long-neck victory over Non Compos who was rattling home late
The former top apprentice completed the double when Metal Spider for Michelle Valentine cleared away to defeat Cut Loose and Tacking On who battled it out for second and third place respectively.