PARKER DIDN’T GIVE UP – AND IS READY TO GO AGAIN

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WHAT’S that old adage? Something like if at first you don’t succeed, then try again.

Kerry Parker is indeed a subscriber to never giving up.

It took the multiple Group 1 winning Kembla Grange trainer 12 starts to snare a Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap in town with Let’s Go Again – and finally he did so at Royal Randwick yesterday.

Ridden by Andrew Adkins, Let’s Go Again ($21) led throughout in the 1200m event restricted to eligible Midway and provincial trainers.

The seven-year-old mare showed no signs of letting her rivals run her down in the straight, and defeated fellow $21 outsider Mailata and Newcastle trainer Tanya Randell’s gallant Beau Bandit ($8.50).

Parker was almost resigned to not winning a Midway Benchmark 72 with Let’s Go Again after she finished fifth to Formal in that grade at Rosehill Gardens on September 12.

“I ran her twice in a midweek Benchmark 72 Handicap (1200m) against her own sex at

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Warwick Farm, and the Legend of the South (1300m) at Moruya on October 2, and she finished second, beaten narrowly both times,” he said today.

“So I decided to have another crack in town.”

Parker had runners at his home track meeting yesterday, and didn’t go to Randwick, but called jockey Adkins in the morning with a specific instruction.

“Let’s Go Again likes to lead in her races, but they have been getting too close to her on the home turn in these Midways,” Parker said.

“I told Andrew to control the race in front, and make certain he had a good enough break entering the straight.

“He rode the mare perfectly.

“It’s nice when a plan comes off as it did yesterday.

“It took me only 12 starts to work out the best way to give her a winning chance in town,” Parker joked.

Let’s Go Again was bred by the late Kembla Grange trainer Mick Tubman, who won four races (including two in town) with her dam Numbers.

Parker’s mare is the third foal of the Al Maher mare Numbers.

He also decided to put blinkers back on Let’s Go Again yesterday, having done so a couple of times previously.

“The timing was right to put them back on, and it did the trick,” Parker said.

“Let’s Go Again ate up overnight and was nice and bright this morning.

“Now that she has broken through in town, we’ll look for another suitable Midway for her.”

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RacingNSW stewards will follow up why Newcastle jockey Aaron Bullock forfeited two important Randwick bookings yesterday; the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) on eventual third placegetter Cormier, and $2m The Invitation (1400m) on Group 3 Tibbie Stakes winner Perfumist, who finished seventh.

Kerrin McEvoy (Cormier) and Regan Bayliss (Perfumist) replaced Bullock, whom stewards reported was to be overweight.

Bullock quickly bounced back at Port Macquarie today with a double, winning on Siccius ($2.10 favorite) for leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, and another favorite Bobbiwaa($3.40) for Coffs Harbour trainer Aiden St Vincent.

Fellow Newcastle jockey Ash Morgan also posted a double, scoring on another pair of favorites, Chief Of Staff ($2.60) and Wild Monarch ($2.40).