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Pukekohe apprentice Rowena Smyth signed off the season with a double at Te Awamutu last Sunday, but isn’t able to fulfil all her Australian plans.

Smyth, who is apprenticed to Nigel Tiley, was successful aboard the jumper Ima Dancer for Ann Browne in the maiden 2000-metre event and completed the day when guiding Nighean to victory for Ardmore trainer Nick Bishara in the PGG Wrightsons 1400.

As leading Auckland apprentice of last season, Smyth secured a two-week stint with Chris Waller and flew to Sydney on Tuesday to begin her time with the champion Sydney trainer. After completing the stint she was to join the Brisbane stable of Brian Smith for a few months.

“I teed it up with Brian Smith for her to go there for three months and she was looking forward to it, but her mother is ill in England so she’ll be going straight there after being with Chris,” said Bishara.

“Maybe there will be an opportunity for her to go to BJ [Smith] at another time. She would be back to a three-kilo claimer over there and it’s a great opportunity for our apprentices. Just look how well Bridget Grylls is doing.”

Bishara has been a loyal supporter of Smyth and the pair have combined for seven wins with four of those successes with Dragonkeeper. Bishara is also a client and friend of Smith, regularly having horses in the former New Zealander’s stable at Eagle Farm.

“I’ve currently got Her Choice, Elusive Storm and Caellum with him,” said Bishara. “Her Choice has taken a while to settle in but he’ll get her right.

“Elusive Storm is coming to the end of her career but she’s got to open company and has won $280,000 over there. BJ’s confident she can win one or two more. Caellum’s done well, too.”

Her Choice was unplaced in her first start for Smith after recording two wins and six placings in New Zealand.

Elusive Storm had been placed three times from five starts in New Zealand when Bishara sent her to Smith, for whom she has won eight races, while Caellum left New Zealand placed in each of her three starts from Bishara’s stable.

Caellum has won six races, including one on promotion after the disqualification of the winner, French Lesson, as a result of a positive swab to cobalt. French Lesson’s trainer, Glen Baker, has been disqualified for two years.

Caellum is a half-brother to Nighean, who showed early promise with a win in her third start, at Avondale last September, but had to settle for three placings in her next 10 outings before last Sunday’s Rating 65 win.