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By John Schell

The winning run of the Oakfield gallopers is poised to continue at Taree on Tuesday when Newcastle trainer Kris Lees sends around first starter Oakfield Pluto in the Vale Paul Matts Maiden Handicap (1007m) with Aaron Bullock in the saddle.

Oakfield Pluto ($3.90 into $3.40 favourite on TAB) races in the lime green & gold colours of successful owner and breeder Bruce Mackenzie, who has been enjoying a good run of success with his runners in recent times.

Oakfield Pluto is a three-year-old gelding by Exceedance and out of the well performed mare Amberino, which was trained in Victoria and won the Group 2-Emancipation Stakes at Randwick back in 2009.

Aaron Bullock returns after winning on Oakfield Echidna at Muswellbrook. Image by Bradley Photographers

“He’s a nicely bred horse and he’s shown us a bit on the track and in his trials,” Lees said of Oakfield Pluto.

“We’ve given him the two trials, and he ran third in the first of them at Scone back in February. He had a break after that and came back with a second in his most recent trial on the Beaumont Track when he went down narrowly.

“He’s drawn ideally in barrier two at Taree and all things point to him running very well on debut.”

Bullock has his usual strong book of rides at Taree and will also partner the Mackenzie-owned Oakfield Echidna ($6 to $6.50) , which runs in the TAB Venue Mode Benchmark 58 Handicap (1614m) for trainer Damien Lane.

Oakfield Echidna resumed from a spell with a Muswellbrook win at $31 and backed that up with a last start second at Hawkesbury when running home well at odds of $61.

Bullock starts the day with the ride on early TAB favourite Blue Kingdom ($2.50 into $1.85 fav) for trainer Lou Mary in the Racing Mates Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1262m).

He links with trainer Wayne Seelin when partnering In Iso ($6 into $3.60) in the Sky International Class 1 & Maiden Plate (2018m).

The Tony Ball conditioned Telegraph ($6 to $7) is Bullock’s mount in the Stacks Law Firm Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1007m).

Bullock rounds out the day when he rides the Scott Henly-trained Critical Time ($6 into $5.50), which is coming off a last start Grafton placing, in the MVRC Winning Post Function Centre Class 3 Handicap (1262m).

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Taree here