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By Ray Hickson

Every now and then Joe Cleary is sent a horse that his friend and fellow trainer Matthew Dale can’t quite bring the best out in and First Class Baby has been his latest project.

The mare came to Cleary having finished a well beaten last in her two starts for Dale, when she runs in the Allbids Plate (1600m) at Queanbeyan on Sunday she’ll be chasing back-to-back wins.

Cleary says it’s all part of the business of racing but he’s rapt to have been able to turn around her form and - who knows - all this work could produce a Group 1 winner as they did a decade ago.

Trainer Joe Cleary (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“We all know how good a trainer Matty is. He and I are good mates, we’re both from Queanbeyan, every now and then he sends me one out of the blue he can’t work out,’’ Cleary said.

“The best one ever was a horse called Chaquinta.

“She came from Mick Price and Matt said ‘try and win a maiden at the Orange picnics with this’. Cut to the chase, it won at the Orange picnics and I thought ‘this one goes all right'.

“It won three in a row in Sydney and has since thrown a Group 1 winner.”

Chaquinta retired a winner of five races and is the dam if dual Group 1 winner Quintessa among five named foals to date.

First Class Baby will more than likely be having her last run for Cleary on Sunday as she’s set to be put up for sale.

He said Sunday’s race appears ideal for the four-year-old on the back of her easy maiden win at Nowra three weeks ago and expects her to take some beating.

“She’s got a mile written all over her, there might be an attrition rate in that race and she’ll go straight to the front and take a bit of catching,’’ he said.

“She’s got some ability but she’s being sold, now her form isn’t looking too bad she’ll be put on line.”

There’s some anticipation from Cleary that lightly raced gelding Honest Warrior can make an impact second-up in the Queanbeyan Leagues Handicap (1460m).

Cleary is particularly keen to get a result for new owner John Fiteni, best known as the owner of top stayer Surprise Baby, who has a few horses with the Queanbeyan trainer.

He said Honest Warrior wasn’t suited to the shorter trip first-up, where he was beaten 4.4 lengths at Canberra two weeks ago, but is showing signs he has the potential to develop into a handy horse.

“It was too short first-up, it was that or a barrier trial and I opted to give him a day at the races. He’s come on really well since then,’’ he said.

“He’s screaming for the seven furlongs, he’s going to be a better horse when he gets older over more ground.

“It looks a shallow race so he’ll be up on the speed and I see no reason why he can’t have his day in the sun.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's meeting at Queanbeyan