Hurst drove Smokin Bopper and Stacey Ann Maree to victory, while his brother Blair was in the gig of Flight Express when he recorded a clinical win midway through the meeting.

Hurst was Dubbo Harness Racing Club’s leading trainer last season and he confessed, after Smokin Bopper gave him his first win of the night, that it was a track where he enjoyed driving.

“We usually make the trip and we’ve got eight in tonight and it’s always good coming here – and getting a win makes it even better,” he said.

Few of his wins at the track lately have been as satisfying as Smokin Bopper’s as the seven-year-old finally broke through for his first victory in more than 18 months.

Injuries and inconsistent form have been the gelding’s trademark recently, but he produced an impressive run in the Fly Like An Eagle at Yirribee Pacing Stud Pace (2120m).

Hurst, who sat deep early on, made his move as the field got the bell and by the time they hit the straight he was locked in a three-way battle with Raging Rhuben ($5) and Laser In Flight ($18.80).

But Smokin Bopper ($2.80 favourite) kicked well and won by a half-neck, much to Hurst’s delight.

“He had a really big year the first year we had him and then he went amiss, but we found the problem and he had a long spell,” he said.

“He’s come back and it’s good to get a win with him because he’s a favourite of the stables.”

He acknowledged it was a tight finish.

“I did [think I’d win] sort of halfway down the straight, but right on the line he knocked up a bit and they came for him, but he went really well,” he said.

The night began with a win for the driver formerly known as Ashlee Siejka, the talented reinswoman showing a change of name has done nothing to affect her quality.

The Bathurst trainer-driver now competes as Ashlee Grives after getting married recently and after getting her first win under her married name on Saturday night, the success continued at Dubbo with Limitation.

“I got the monkey off my back on Saturday night with the name change, so it was good to get the ball rolling and hopefully there’s more winners,” she said.

Limitation ($5.60) was the late mail runner at the track. Despite favourite Mahkooloo Lasarus ($1.90) leading for the majority of the journey, Grives got her mare to move down the straight and she went on to blitz the field.

It was a drought-breaking win for the Kiwi seven-year-old. Her last win had come back in New Zealand in June of last year, well before she came into Grives’ stable.

“I’ve been happy with most of her runs in our stable,” Grives said.

“She’s pretty tough and once she got to the breeze I thought she’d be hard to chase down, but I didn’t expect her to go on and get there so easy.”