A hat-trick of winners on Friday has all but assured Matt Dale his first Canberra Trainers' Premiership title.
Dale now holds a 10-win lead over fellow Canberra-based trainer, Keith Dryden in the Premiership standings with only two meetings remaining this season at Thoroughbred Park.
The Dale team has had a stellar season so far at Canberra, with a strike rate eclipsing 30 percent.
Training partners Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones, Nick Olive, and Dryden have been the next best performing stables this season.
Olive has been scoring winners at the best rate of the chasing trio at 17.2%, but that still falls well short of the lofty standards set by Dale this season.
With a bit more luck, Dale's lead in the Trainer's Premiership could be even higher, given he also has a higher strike rate for minor place finishes then Joseph and Jones, Olive, and Dryden.
Dale saddled up five runners at Thoroughbred Park on Friday, scoring three winners, with the best coming in the $27,000 Benchmark 60 Handicap (1000m).
Impressive youngster, Yasnat saluted comfortably in his previous start leading into Friday's meeting, and was rising significantly in class, but that was not enough to deny him his second career win from three starts.
A tilt in metropolitan grade may be awaiting the Written Tycoon filly for her next start.
The drop in grade allowed stable mate Circle Game to return to the winner's circle in the stayer's race, while Deals 'N' Diamonds rounded out Dale's hat-trick by taking his maiden win.
