Kempsey trainer Julie Lynch takes home a win with Waiheke Island

The Sunday event was a non-tab meeting with five races in total.

"It wasn't too bad, we had a few scratchings, as expected on non-tab meetings, but it was a good day with a great finish in the RSL sponsored race," race club secretary John Graham said.

"We had a couple hundred turn up which was pleasing with a fairly young crowd."

Race 4 saw local success as Julie Lynch's eight-year-old gelding, Waiheke Island, earned victory by .2 of a length.

The win was the horses fourth with his last coming on July 14 2019 at Grafton.

Previously, the gelding had almost a year off from December 2019 to November 2020 due to injury.

Lynch's last win came in June last year and she was ecstatic with the victory.

"I was cheering and jumping up and down, it was absolutely beautiful," she described to the Argus.

"Nothing else in the world can give you that feeling - it's amazing, you lay awake at night thinking about them and then they give you that."

Lynch said the addition of track rider Siena Grima has been beneficial.

"They've got a really good connection," she said.

Meanwhile, Barry Ratcliff's Neptune Wink finished in third in Race 5.

The fun doesn't stop there for Kempsey.

This Saturday will see the return of the Gladstone Cup with two Kempsey horses racing in the Race 1 event.

"We should get a fair crowd, equivalent to ANZAC Day," Mr Graham said.

Lynch's Waiheke Island will look to achieve glory again with the gelding her first ever entrant into the Cup race.

"You've got to be in it to win it," she said.

The Simonetta trained Itsa Fait Accompli will race as well and is coming into the event with strong form.

In the gelding's last four races he's finished second three times and third once, all at Grafton and at 2200m.

The Cup race will stretch for 1900m.

In the other races, Hilary Dew has nominated Wewonya in Race 3 while Ratcliff has Neptune's Wink in Race 4 and Solskjaer in Race 6.

Lynch will also have Ausbred Trump in Race 5.

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