Third and fourth generation trainers Marc and Mitchell Conners marked a major milestone when their stable flagbearer Willaidow secured back-to-back victories in the JRA Plate at Rosehill.

Marc is the son of legendary horseman Clarry Conners, a four-time Golden Slipper winning trainer, while Clarry’s father Clarry Conners Snr also left his mark on the sport.

Mitchell Conners, just 25, was away overseeing another runner at Newcastle, leaving Marc to absorb the significance of the win without his training partner.

“For a small stable like ours, it’s a lot of work. We have to put in a lot of hours,” Marc Conners said.

“These are the wins that are pretty special for us.”

Marc said Mitchell’s rise to partnership was well earned.

“He has put the hard yards in. He has done a lot of work,” he said.

“He is driving home from Newcastle today, he got beaten up there, so this will cheer him up.

“It’s a proud moment for me to have him down beside me. He will remember that for a long time.”

Willaidow ($4.60) completed the rare double after also winning the race last year when it was known as the Southern Cross Stakes (1200m).

James McDonald had to wait for a run in the straight but once clear, Willaidow showed his trademark toughness to edge out The Instructor ($6.50) by a short head, with Zarastro ($9.50) a length away third.

The seven-year-old has now won nine of his 26 starts and earned more than $720,000, a remarkable return for a horse that cost just $7000.

“He is a $7000 horse and look what he’s done,” Conners said.

“He fractured his cannon bone after his third win, and he’s come back and done what he’s done. For a stable like us, they are dream horses. They’re the backbone. They pay the bills.”

While no firm plans have been locked in, those looking at Australian betting sites will again have Willaidow firmly on the radar whenever the JRA Plate winner steps out during the autumn carnival.

The post Willaidow in milestone win for Conners family first appeared on Just Horse Racing.