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Duffers Creek has been to a host of venues for his collection of 11 victories, but he stayed closest to home on Saturday to post the most important one of his career.

Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers produced the under-rated seven-year-old to triumph in his local weight-for-age feature, the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes.

Duffers Creek, who was backing up from his third placing in last weekend’s North Island Challenge Stakes, and a race he had won the previous year, settled kindly toward the back of the field before improving across the top.

The son of Gold Centre rounded off strongly in the straight for rider Chris Johnson, who later completed a double for the meeting when he took the St Johns Club 1590 on the Paul Nelson-trained No Change.

He now has 88 winners for the season and the 53-year-old has closed to within one of his namesake Danielle in the race for the national jockeys’ premiership.

Johnson won the title in the 1995-96 season and he has already said he is prepared to ride over hurdles to boost his chances of a second crown.

Duffers Creek has covered his share of miles for his 45 starts with past victories in the South Island at Greymouth (twice), Reefton, Hokitika, Kumara and Riccarton and in the North Island at Trentham, Waverley, Hawera and at Stratford.

Saturday’s runner-up Thorn Prince showed he could be in for a lucrative winter with his bold first-up showing while third placegetter Taurus was brave in the defence of his title.

The disappointments of the race were the mares Underthemoonlight and Gypsy Fair, who raced on the pace before petering out to finish fifth and sixth respectively.