A home-bred from Tamworth by a little known sire and trained locally by Greg Bennett has beaten a field of classy Sydney fillies in the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone.

Desperately ridden by Brenton Avdulla, In A Wink just held off the fast-finishing Fine Mist, trained by Bede Murray, to win by a half head and run a class record.

"Gee, I thought Bede's horse had beaten me," Bennett said.

"It is such a thrill to win this race on my home track with a home bred.

"While I was away in America my staff did all the work with her and they deserve a lot of the credit."

Bennett and his wife Wendy spent three weeks in America last month visiting their son Harry in Los Angeles where he is working and playing rugby.

In A Wink is owned by her breeders, Tamworth couple Errol and Gwen Leicht, and is by the Tamworth based sire Ready As.

"I have always liked the More Than Ready breed and I also liked Ready As when he was racing," Errol Leicht said.

"Ready As is by More Than Ready so I decided to support the local stallion.

"I have a weanling full brother to In A Wink at home and he will be called Innerspring.

"Gwen named In A Wink but I named Innerspring."

Bennett and Rod Northam, who won Friday's Inglis Challenge with Sargent Doakes, are the two dominant trainers in Scone and Bennett said they always helped one another.

"Rod is great at training two-year-olds and we always work together and I hope it always remains that way," Bennett said.

Bennett was effusive in his praise of Avdulla.

"Gee he's a good rider," he said. "Horses travel so well for him."

Avdulla had In A Wink fourth last early on the fence then gradually tracked into the race, eased off the rail in the straight to get a split and go to a narrow lead at the 200 metres.

At the same time Fine Mist (Jason Collett) was the widest runner and made her bid down the outside to lunge at In A Wink on the line to miss by half a head.