Fernando, who trains a small team just up the road at Ashley, last year won with Crowntreno at the last leg of the Kenway and Clark Golden Triangle, but it was the meeting’s feature double – the Talmoi Cup and Helen Boland Memorial Bracelet – he wanted.

Nardoola Kid finished a luckless second in last year’s cup while Miss Nidan was third in Port and Brandy’s historic bracelet win.

Nardoola Kid seeks Talmoi Cup redemption while stablemate Crowntreno, a restricted winner at last year’s meeting, could back up in the 1400m bush feature after winning last Saturday’s Walgett Cup.

“We’ve freshened up Nardoola Kid and we’ll just see how Crowntreno pulls up after Walgett before we decide whether we start him; we’ll definitely nominate him, but he’ll probably get around 70kg,” Fernando said.

Crowntreno, a class 1 horse when joining Fernando’s burgeoning stable in early 2008, has taken all before him since winning a class B at Talmoi last year.

The gelding has since collared seven races, including the Wean, Narrabri, Brewarrina and Walgett Cups as well as the Moree Cotton Cup.

“I wouldn’t mind taking him back to Wean, and I’d really love to win a Mungindi Cup with him,” Fernando said.

“He’s a good horse; his win in the Walgett Cup was unbelievable – gee, he won well.”

Crowntreno ($3.20fav), with Parkes 3kg-claimer Tiffany Jeffries on board, settled at the back of the field before charging home to score by two lengths from Faux Pas (9/1) with Gelmood ($4.80) more than a length away third.

“I still can’t believe he won it, and won it so easy,” Fernando said.

“Tiffany let him down at the 600m and he just cruised up to them on the turn. Once he saw some daylight and got some galloping room he just went ‘whoosh’,” he said.

Stablemate Half Circle gave Fernando and Jeffries a Walgett double with an all-the-way win in the 0-61 handicap (1600m).

Half Circle, a 6/1 chance, led throughout to score by a length-and-a-quarter from Smarting (9/2) with 3/1 favourite Dusty Crown more than two lengths away third.

“He led by five lengths at one stage. The others took a bit of ground off him, but he held on well,” Fernando said.