Treble for Albany trainer Steve Wolfe as Ex Sport Girl holds off late challenges for strong first-up victory

Talented mare Ex Sport Girl resumed in terrific fashion on Thursday and was part of a winning treble for trainer Steve Wolfe at his home track in Albany. Ex Sport Girl trialled impressively last month and was well supported into a $1.90 favourite first-up in the Black & White Concreting Handicap (1230m) last week. Apprentice jockey Rosie Mahony sent the four-year-old to the front from the outside gate to control proceedings, booting clear in the home straight before holding out late challenges from Natural Spice and Sun Chacen. It was a fourth win from 15 career starts for the daughter of A Lot and the second time she has won first-up. Ex Sport Girl carried 57kg with the claim of Mahony, who fumbled her off-side rein at about the 100m mark but it did not affect the end result. The result was the third leg of a treble for the Wolfe stable after earlier maiden gallopers I Dreamed A Dream and Song Story broke through. Both were ridden by Albany hoop Natasha Faithfull who also rode three seconds and a third in a dominant performance on the eight-race card. I Dreamed A Dream ($2.90) settled second in the opening race over 1500m and then ground down stablemate Safe Rappa in the home straight to win by nearly one length and break through at his seventh career start. Faithfull then produced a strong finish aboard Song Story ($11) to edge out red-hot $1.30 favourite Playing Rio by a head in the Fitzpatrick Plate 14th Jan Maiden (1100m). Outsider Snippagent set a strong pace in front but Song Story sizzled to the line for Faithfull to better his runner-up finish a fortnight earlier and deny the Paul Hunter-trained Playing Rio. Hunter continued his strong start to the local season however when promising type Magnaburma made it two wins in three starts this campaign, claiming race three over 1500m. Jumping a $15 chance for jockey Jason Whiting, Magnaburma settled midfield in the run and was too strong in the concluding stages to beat $2.25 favourite Divine Mercy, who had every chance, by 0.4 lengths. Mahony enjoyed a strong day in the saddle after she booted home speedster Oxbridge in race two. Trained by Stephen Sheehy, Oxbridge made it successive wins after charging along in front for Mahony in the 1000m race to smash the small field with Millivoy nearly four lengths behind in second place. Wolfe’s The Spruiker won a 1000m trial to start the meeting with stablemates Best Of The Gods and Ex Sport Man close up in second and third.