MARONG trainer David Van Ryn says he is indebted to the owners of of Chissy following the gelding's convincing win at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.
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The four year-old trotter is owned by Noel McNaulty and sons Jason and Shaun, who is a trainer in his own right.
Van Ryn said he appreciated the opportunity to train the horse, when the McNaultys could easily have kept things in the family and had Shaun train him.
Chissy had shown plenty of signs that a win was on the horizon after a pair of seconds at his previous two outings at Melton earlier in the month.
On Saturday night, he was able to capitalise on his luck when the leader and favourite Amour De Frere ($1.70) and Stress Factor galloped, to run away to an easy win, with Van Ryn's nephew Haydon Gray in the sulky.
"His last two runs had been brilliant - even his run at Bendigo three starts back when he galloped at the 100m was massive," Van Ryn said.
"He's gone well the entire preparation really.
"He missed his three-year-old season due to some complications, but he has come back a really lovely horse this preparation.
"He has always had the ability, he is just not real good away from the standing starts, but we've been trying to teach him.
"If he can get it right, he might make a good country cup horse next year. But if doesn't start getting away from standing starts, it will make things tough."
Van Ryn, who has just a small team of horses in work and most of them young ones, was uncertain where he would head next with Chissy, who boosted his career record to six wins and 10 placings from 30 races.
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"We will just get over the win and keep picking out odd races here and there," he said.
"The four-year-old Sires will be his main aim this season, but have plenty of time before that.
"We just need to keep him safe and sound."
Chissy's six wins have come on five different tracks, starting with his debut win as a two-year-old at Maryborough in June 2017.
His subsequent victories were at Bendigo in August 2017 and October 2018, Kilmore and Stawell last year and finally at Melton.
Saturday's win was the first of two in two days for Gray, who partnered the Barham-trained Ideal Velocity to victory in the $10,000 Eureka Series Final at Echuca on Sunday night.
Honours for the meeting belonged to Strathfieldsaye trainer Glenn Douglas, who added another double with Bernie Winkle in the $7000 Easter Cup and Ozzie Bogan in a C1 pace.
Elmore trainer Keith Cotchin also struck success with his consistent four-year-old pacer Karlos.
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