Trainer Mark Webb’s decision to restock his stable with well-bred horses has reaped a reward at Eagle Farm.
Webb was the leading trainer in Toowoomba for many years but decided to relocate to the Sunshine Coast three years ago to be closer his family.
“We have struggled a bit for city runners and I decided to bite the bullet and have a stable clean-out,” Webb said.
“To be competitive you need to have well-bred horses. We now have horses by Smart Missile, Bernadini, Foxwedge, etc, etc, so I am expecting the next year will see us back in business.”
The Webb-trained two-year-old Acceptile ($2.80), who is by Smart Missile, lived up to his early season promise by winning the first division of Wednesday’s QTIS 2YO Maiden (1000m).
“He had been placed behind some pretty smart Saturday two-year-olds and I thought he would be hard to beat,” Webb sadi.
“But there were wraps on a couple of others in today’s field and it was probably up to Saturday standard,” Webb said.
He is hoping Acceptile, who is raced by his breeder Alan Newcombe, will be up to stakes races in the winter carnival.
Another Sunshine Coast trainer, Mick Mair, has a promising horse in Legadema ($3.20) who won the other division for two-year-olds.
Legadema had trialled well at the Sunshine Coast but Mair said he had been worried about the gelding drawing the outside barrier for his debut.
“It was a good effort today because he had to race five-deep for much of the race.He has good breeding and he might go on from here,” Mair said.
Legadema is raced by Akram Younan who also owns Ajani, the winner of the Magic Millions maiden last month.
