JOHNNY Allen and Darren Weir combined with Bit Of A Lad to take out the A$100,000 Brian Drechsler Hurdle at Bendigo on Sunday. The lightly-raced four-year-old by Ladoni was having just his seventh jumps start and has now strung together three consecutive wins.

“He’s just gone to the next level,” said Allen. “It took him a while to get his maiden out of the way, he was doing a few things wrong, he was missing the start and just when he’s in behind he doesn’t travel and doesn’t get going. So I really tried to make it a staying test today and it paid dividends.”

Home by eight lengths, the win brought up the Weir stable’s 473rd for the season, while for Allen he was on his way to a treble for the day. Having combined with Weir to win the maiden hurdle with Killarney Kid earlier, Allen capped his day with victory on Royal Thunder for the David Hayes team in the 1,600-metre highweight.

WELLS NATIONAL AIM

A fourth Grand National Steeple is victory is firmly on the agenda for Wells following Sunday’s success in the $100,000 Mosstrooper Steeple over 3,600 metres at Bendigo. Trained by Kathryn Durdson, the 10-year-old Galileo gelding avoided a three-horse fall at the second-last that saw his stablemate King Kamada brought down along with Something to Share and Abebe. Sent off favourite, Wells won by four lengths from Sea King, the pair carrying 70kgs under the set-weights structure of the race.

“He’s just in a different league to ride,” said jockey Richard Cully. “You look forward to getting up every day when you get to ride him and just pray that nothing goes wrong. He’s just unreal. He was great today. Early they went quick and he settled good, then they slowed up and he grabbed (the bridle) a little bit, but when I went for him he just let go.”