Macs Relaxed has now raced 10 times for four wins, those four wins coming from just five starts since joining the Michael Trinder stable.

"He's going far better than I thought he was. When he won his maiden, I thought he might win one more, but I think he is quite a progressive galloper," Trinder said.

The veteran trainer says the six-year-old is appreciating the type of work he used to give his champion steeplechasers of yesteryear.

Despite his recent winning form, Macs Relaxed started at the generous odds of $6.

Alpine Assault defied a huge betting drift to score a narrow victory in the Kevin Sharkie Maiden/ Class 1 (1650m).

On the strength of a solid third placing in Hobart at his most recent start, Alpine Assault opened $6.50 but was out to $18 by race time.

The John Blacker-trained galloper was well back approaching the home turn but ran home solidly to win by a nose from A Little Deceit ($15) with the heavily backed favourite Lilly Luella ($2.50 to $1.40) a half-length away in third.

"He jumped away better than I would have liked and I dragged him back, and that suited him beautifully.

"Over the back straight he was under a bit of pressure to get there, but once they stacked up and I got to the outside, he got home lovely," winning jockey Chelsea Baker said after the race.

Anthony Darmanin went into the meeting with the best book of rides. He was on duty in every race and came away with four winners on the eight-race card, and for most of it was the punters pal.

He started the day with Aruma, the $1.45 favourite in the 3YO Maiden over 1150m. He scored on the well-supported Lord Whitegate ($2.80 to $2.30) in the Great Northern Class 2 (1350m) and made it three for the day when No Access ($2.15) rattled home to win the Thai Imperial Class 1 (1150m).

Darmanin rounded out the day on Carneros (2.30 into 1.50) in the last, the Beach Club BM68 over 1880m.

Carneros made it two wins in seven days, and trainer Barry Campbell is confident the five-year-old will win better races.

The win completed a double for Campbell, who also saddled up Aruma. He shared training honours with John Blacker, who scored with Alpine Assault and No Access.

Apprentice jockeys Erica Byrne Burke and Brooke Hanham are a little lighter in the pocket for failing to weigh in after race 7.

Byrne Burke was fined $250 and Hanham $100, and their mounts were disqualified. Byrne Burke had initially finished third on African Thunder while Hanham's mount Maincourt was unplaced.

The young riders told stewards they had become distracted on the way back to the scales which have temporarily been relocated due to building renovations.