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Hawkesbury trainer Jason Attard is keeping it in the family with yesterday’s Wyong winner My Milly Moo. And he is hoping the mare’s purple patch of form will lead to an overdue city breakthrough with consistent Shalmaneser at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

My Milly Moo is raced by Attard’s mother Josephine, and his wife Lucy rides her in trackwork. A late bloomer, the five-year-old mare will be chasing a hat-trick next time out, though her trainer was uncertain this morning on his way to Muswellbrook races when and where that assignment will be.

No doubt Attard wouldn’t mind in the slightest if there is another suitable race at Wyong in the coming weeks as his mare clearly has an affinity with both that track and jockey Josh Parr, who has been aboard in her two recent victories.

There was nothing unlucky about My Milly Moo’s 13th start when shedding her maiden status at Wyong on January 22 over 1600m, and repeated the dose over the same course yesterday, stepping up in grade to a Benchmark 63 Handicap (1600m).

Plans for My Milly Moo ($3 favourite) to be ridden positively and take up a prominent spot were thrown out the window when the mare was outpaced early and settled second last.

“To be honest, I couldn’t keep up when they went so quickly into the first turn,” Parr said afterwards. “But she travelled really well and did a good job to win again.”

Parr revved My Milly Moo up before the home turn, and though the widest on the corner, she sustained a strong run to beat Dinky Di Dora ($4.60) and Clunes Rocket ($31). A younger half-sister to six-times winner Pistolier (trained in South Australia), My Milly Moo has taken time to mature, according to her trainer.

“We had to let her grow,” Attard said. “I was worried when she got back in the field, but Josh (Parr) didn’t panic. He chilled out and the mare was good enough to get the job done.”

Parr actually rode My Milly Moo at her first two starts at Warwick Farm and Wyong in June and July, 2014 (finishing third in the latter race).

Attard will back up Shalmaneser in Saturday’s Benchmark 93 Handicap (2000m) at Randwick, hoping he can end a run of minor city placings. Jay Ford rides Shalmaneser, who has been placed at his last three outings, including a second to Destiny’s Kiss in the Australia Day Cup (2400m) at the same track last Thursday.

News courtesy - Hawkesbury Race Club

View the results & video replays for Wyong (Weds) here