Maitre Dee finally serves trainer a win

IT HAD been that long since Cairns trainer Fred Wieland had prepared a winner, he could not even remember it.

The Cannon Park-based horseman is considered one of the leading trainers in the Far North, but has certainly gone through a dry spell of late.

His horses were rarely disgraced, but made a bad habit of running second or third instead of greeting the judges first.

Like Cairns’ professional sports team did over the last week, mare Maitre Dee ended Wieland’s long drought at Innisfail on Saturday afternoon.

Starting as a $2.50 favourite following two promising runs since arriving in Cairns, the five-year-old put on a show in the Maiden Plate (1100m), winning by more than five lengths.

Apprentice hoop Amanda Thomson put the mare to the head of the field just as they turned for home and Maitre Dee did the rest.

“I just wanted her to get back a little bit and not charge to the front,” Wieland said. “She ran home well.” According to Racing.com, Wieland’s last winner was way back in May, with Super Mario winning at Gordonvale.

“I have been waiting for a winner for a while now and hopefully they can keep coming after this one,” Wieland said in the mounting yard on Saturday. “I can’t remember when the last one was, it has been that long.

“I have had a lot of horses run good races, run second in big or QTIS races, but not quite winning.”