In-form training partners Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich can build on their impressive strike-rate with a strong hand at Scone’s two-day carnival

Local trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich have an enviable strike-rate and can add further to it with several chances over Scone’s two-day carnival.

Trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich boast the best winning-strike rate of any stable in NSW and can enhance their stellar season on their home track over the two-day Scone Cup Carnival.

Messara formed a training partnership with long-time stable employee Gavranich in September last year and they have prepared 30 winners on all tracks this season at a scarcely believable strike-rate of 31.3 per cent, or a winner every third starter.

The duo have an opportunity to improve these impressive statistics at Friday’s Scone Cup meeting where promising Conspirator is at $1.80 TAB Fixed Odds favourite for the 1300m maiden in the opener.

Akasawa takes out the Gunnedah Cup with a dominant display!@Aaronbullock90 with a peach @Paulmessara. pic.twitter.com/swz3jI5eYU

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 28, 2023

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Conspirator was first over the line but lost his debut race on protest at Muswellbrook after racing erratically in the straight.

The Messara and Gavranich-trained Homeland makes his debut in the 1000m maiden but has demonstrated ability at the trials and is rated a $6.50 chance to make a winning debut.

Homeland, a three-year-old gelding by Shalaa, impressed in a recent Tamworth barrier trial win and is a competitive chance on debut despite drawing an outside barrier.

Rising seven-year-old Akasawa, winner of the Hunter and North West Country Championships heat and Gunnedah Cup last year, is the stable’s big chance for a hometown win in the Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m).

Akasawa is unbeaten in two previous starts on the track and although he is only second emergency, he’s rated a $7 chance for the big race.

Messara and Gavranich have only one runner at the Scone stand-alone on Saturday – Rematch, the $4 favourite for the TAB Highway (1600m).

Rematch, winner of three of his 10 starts, is fitter for two runs from a spell and indicated a return to winning form is imminent when he charged home for a close third at Newcastle last start.

Originally published as In-form training partners Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich can build on their impressive strike-rate with a strong hand at Scone’s two-day carnival