Capablenrewarding and trainer-driver Bill Davis captured the quicker of two $3,650 Oaktree Stake divisions as Sandown Park kicked off its three-race summer meet on Saturday.
Davis had the son of Camluck in the pocket through the :28 opening panel before setting his sights on the front, and getting there before the :58 half. A final half in 1:00 was all that was needed to hit the wire three lengths to the good for the 1:58 maiden-breaking victory over favoured Kootenay Nron (Darren Howald) and Luvinajiffy (Reg Wonnenberg).
Surrey's Niele Jiwan owns three-year-old Capablenrewarding (Camluck - Repartee), who notched his first win in six seasonal tries.
Dave Hudon went to the front and made three left turns en route to victory in the second Oaktree aboard Mark Black Cloud. The four-year-old son of Camotion - Ocean Beach was on the engine through fractions of :28.3, 1:01 and 1:28.2 before coasting home in :30 to seal the deal in 1:58.2 over Killarny Boy (Scott Knight) and Film At Ten (John Abbott).
The win was the first in 16 starts for Mark Black Cloud. Hudon trains for owner Bill Boden of Vancouver.
Oaktree Stake action hits Sandown again next week with the second leg, heading into the $12,000 final on July 26.
For the lines from Sandown's Saturday card, click here.