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Overdue first winner for Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith could just open the floodgates
Andrew Dietz on a yard whose tried-and-tested approach often pays dividends at this time of year
Last Sunday was a memorable occasion for Joel Parkinson after he registered the first winner of his new training partnership with Sue Smith.
It took a bit of time in coming – just over a month and 33 runners – but as the grandson of Smith's husband Harvey, you can bet Parkinson wasn't panicking.
It was still a relief, though, when O'Connell clung on dearly for a short-head victory at Carlisle to offer a neat bit of symmetry there as the same horse was Smith's final runner in her sole name back in October. It was also Smith's 100th winner at the Cumbrian track.
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