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By Greg Prichard

Criminal Art didn’t register her first win until her 29th start but since finally breaking through she has kept on winning and now trainer Nikki Pollock has decided to take her back up in class at the Taree meeting on Sunday.

The six-year-old mare has now won three races in a row, but they were all at non-TAB meetings and it will obviously be tougher for her at a TAB meeting in race five - the Burson Auto Parts Classic Car Cup Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap.

But the Pollock camp is optimistic about her producing a good run now she has learned how to get the job done.

Criminal Art wins at Tamworth (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“She’d always been competitive before she came to us and a lot of the time that was around the provincials,” said Arthur Pollock, Nikki’s son who is the stable foreman.

“After about half-a-dozen runs for us she managed to land in a four-horse race (at Inverell) that was pretty horrendous and I think getting a win there just gave her a lot of confidence.

“She was a quite nervy horse and I think getting a kill by five-and-a-half lengths changed her mentality and she’s gone on with it her last two.

“Being able to get her head in front she’s started to enjoy her racing and she’s in great form at the moment.

“Very timid and fragile she was and she’d probably just gotten used to getting beat and running seconds and thirds or just behind the placegetters, but she knows what it’s like to win now.”

Scone-based Pollock is Criminal Art’s fourth trainer and the horse has turned out to be a bargain buy for the Pollock group.

In her nine runs for the stable she has earned $27,150, including $6400 for each of her three wins, and while that might not sound like a lot it’s a pretty good result when you discover the full facts.

"We bought her on Inglis Digital for $2000,” Arthur said. “It’s been a good little buy. We pretty much own all of our horses.”

The Pollocks tried a few different things to get Criminal Art closer to a win, including racing her on successive days early in this campaign.

“We just thought they were two average races and we’ve seen a few people do that sort of thing when a horse has taken a while to try to get a win,” Arthur said.

“Just change things up and to be honest she was at a non TAB at Gulargambone on the Saturday and ran third in a Maiden and then went to a Super Maiden on Moree Cup day and finished fourth and the run at Moree was the better run of the two.

“When she finally won at Inverell she was last of the four with no pace on and Billy (Cray, her jockey) took off at the 800 and just kept going and in her last two she’s sat fourth or fifth and gone on with it from there.

“She’s drawn well at Taree on Sunday, so hopefully she can sit in that second or third pair again and we’ll see if she can make it four wins.

“Going from a non TAB to a TAB meeting it’s obviously going to be much more competitive, but she’s fit and well so if she’s going to win one at a TAB meeting this is probably the best time to try her.”

*First race 1.40pm. Gates open midday. Taree Classic Cars and National Thoroughbred Week race-day, plus the launch of the Taree City Panthers Rugby League Club. Entry $10 for adults and $5 concession. Turf Bistro, bar and full TAB and bookmaker facilities in the Winning Post Function Centre. See Manning Valley Race Club Facebook page for more details.

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