TOOWOOMBA jockey Les “Bubba” Tilley made the most of a rare trip south of the border on Friday, with a hat-trick of wins at Moree Race Club’s TAB Tradies Day.

Tilley opened the eight-race card with a soft win in the 1300m Gwydir Gallop Class 1 Handicap with Pat Webster’s blue-blooded gelding Pan a Million – a half-brother to 2020 ATC Derby winner Quick Thinker – before landing a running double on Wendouree and Sethnique for Tamworth trainer Wayne Brown.

Pan a Million, a well-tried $1.90 favourite after firming from $2.20, settled midfield for Tilley before chiming in at the top of the straight to score by a length from second favourite Nirmata ($2.60) and Dig Bee ($6.50).

“The horse has been wanting to win for a long time and was also nominated for the Sunny Coast on Sunday. Pat elected to come here, and that was the right decision,” Tilly said.

“This was a beautiful race for him, and he can gallop on his day. That was one of his better wins.”

Winners are grinners: Toowoomba jockey Bubba Tilley on Friday at Moree, where he collared a hat-trick of wins.

Webster was relieved to see Pan a Million bounce back to winning form.

“Taking the winkers off today was probably key to getting him to settle. He’s done a good job,” Webster said.

“It’s probably the first time he’s gotten back that far, and I was quite happy to see him finish off the way he did.

“He’s settling down a lot with racing, and he’ll probably win a few more, I think.

“He’s a half-brother to a derby winner, and in the early days I thought he’d be a miler. We tried him over 1500m and it’s a bit up in the air whether he couldn’t run it out it that day or whether the track played against him.

“He didn’t finish the race off so I brought him back in distance, and he’s got the job done today,” Webster said.

Impressive: Four-year-old Wendouree, ridden by Bubba Tilley, collects the 950m maiden plate at Moree on Friday.

Tilley struck while the iron was hot, with a running double for Wayne Brown.

Bargain-buy Wendouree was impressive winning the 950m Secretary’s Maiden Plate, with Sethnique scraping home to win the 1200m Caretaker’s Maiden Handicap 35 minutes later.

“Wayne was confident with Wendouree and I was confident with Sethnique, so we both got it right,” Tilley laughed.

“Sethnique should’ve won last start at Tamworth and he was tough today. He was beaten twice, but put his nose down where it counted.”

Sethnique ($3.20) travelled sweetly in the run before pouncing late to win by a head from Effietrinket ($12) and Miss Heroic ($15).

“I was about three lengths off the leaders at one stage – running third and fourth,” Tilley said.

“They kicked away a bit, but I was just happy to have him comfortable and relaxed, and he finished it off good.”

Wendouree($3.50), bought early last year as an unraced three-year for just $600 online, showed the stamp of a good horse in the making when racing clear to score by more than two lengths from Lady Encrypteau ($41) and well-backed $2.90 favourite Polar Opposite.

“He went really well and got back in the field, but won like a really promising horse. He’s going to have a nice prep, I think,” Tilley said.

Trainer Wayne Brown agreed.

“It was lovely win. He was a cheap horse, purchased by owner Murray Keating for $600 online – Murray’s got a bit of a knack for that,” Brown said.

“Murray couldn’t be here – he had to work to get the money so we can spend it buying more racehorses,” he laughed.

Brown said stablemate Sethnique was equally impressive – and so was Bubba Tilley.

“Sethnique is a consistent horse. I think he’ll get better later on, too. There are more wins, for sure,” he said.

“Bubba did a great job, too. That’s the first time he’s ridden for me – and we’ve got two winners,” Brown smiled.