Take Me Home Honey makes Hunter’s day much sweeter

Take Me Home Honey and Dolly’s Dream handed Albany trainer Paul Hunter a double on the nine-race card in Albany on Sunday.

Stayer Take Me Home Honey stepped up smartly from breaking her maiden status last start to claim the Lordhelpmerun Handicap (1900m) after a clever mid-race move from jockey Kyra Yuill.

After settling midfield, Yuill took off around the outside at the 700m mark and was in front by the home turn, fighting off Aground in the final 100m to win by 0.3 lengths.

Hunter said he had a high opinion of the consistent four-year-old.

“She is in good form. It was a good effort with weight stepping up from a maiden,” Hunter said.

“She has a bit of upside, she will go out for a break now and come back and looks like a nice stayer, which are hard to find these days.

“The plan was to take off then, it was a good ride by (Kyra).

“If we didn’t win, it would have been my fault as she followed the instructions perfectly.”

Dolly’s Dream broke through for a well-deserved win in race two to hand Hunter his first leg of a double.

Rider Ben Paterson landed the mare in front and held off Fangio over the last 50m to win her first race at her ninth attempt.

“She has a few issues that we are still trying to work out but it was a reasonable win,” he said.

“She will need to improve to be more competitive going through the grades but looks a nice type.”

Consistent seven-year-old stayer Toru Waimarie broke through for a well-deserved win in the Red Can Man Handicap (1900m) for trainer Gerry Hughes, returning to the winners’ circle for the first time in more than two years.

It was the second leg of a double for Jade McNaught, who produced a clever ride on Toru Waimarie to settle close to the pace and then get an inside rails run in race five, as the horse broke a 756-day winning drought.

McNaught booted the Peter Western-trained Magic Opus home over the fast-finishing It Comes Natural in race three.

Veteran sprinter Potent Secret produced a sharp turn of foot in the last race of the day to notch his 13th career win while Little Punga continued his strong season in the Great Southern courtesy of another winning ride from rising apprentice Beaux Banovic-Edwards.