Oakland Park bookended Day 2 of the TABtouch Masters at Ascot with late-closers The Front Bar and Beret.The Adam Durrant-trained double started with The Front Bar who now has career stats of 5 wins in 8 starts for Oakland Park owners Neville & Susan Duncan.

Beret (Helmet) wasn’t as precocious facing the starter a half-dozen times prior to a Bunbury breakthrough in February 2020.  She commenced this season with a frustrating run of four seconds for an Oakland Park syndicate but has come good capping this month with a running double at Ascot.

Besides carrying the famed Yellow and Black Maltese Cross colours, she also carries the Helmet – Quest For Fame cross which has a perfect strike rate of 7 winners from 7 runners. Saturday’s win in the Heineken 3 Hcp (1400m) sent Beret’s bank-balance to $234,150. Durrant was pleased after another successful day at the office and he also gave a special mention to Stageman who did best of the rest behind Graceful Girl in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes.

“The Front Bar is loaded with ability and Beret benefited from a perfect ride by Clint Johnston-Porter,” Durrant said. “He sat three wide with cover before knuckling down to business. That makes it back-to-back wins which is thoroughly deserved.

“Clint changed tactics last time and that was the confidence-booster she relished.”

Beret is a half-sister to Hong Kong expat Joy Master (Rogano) who has earned the equivalent of AUD465,826 so far for trainer Caspar Fownes. He won an Ascot nursery as Riasc and was also runner-up in the 2017 Listed Perth Stakes before shipping off-shore.

Their dam Irish Hut (Quest For Fame) is a half-sister to Randwick Group winners Heather and Peat Bog. She was purchased by Baldivis breeder Richard Comben for $13,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Autumn Sale carrying a colt by Sessions