The five-year-old gelding was the $2.30 favourite in the third race.

Glen Innes trainer Paddy Cunningham said the bay gelding “seems to be getting better with each start” while it was the first time under jockey Allan Chau.

“He’s got that much speed from the gates,” Cunningham said.

“He can maintain it. A lot of horses can’t.

“He seems to improve in every run we give him.”

Cunningham said a race of 2100 or 2200 metres might be next on the agenda for Carry On Jake, perhaps at Grafton, before he might be due for a spell.

“He should be looking for the paddock but that’s not going to happen at the moment; he seems to be getting stronger and stronger each time he goes around,” he said.

The horse won its second start in an 1100 metre and its last in 1900, ridden by Jackson Murphy in Armidale earlier this month.

“He won his maiden at Coffs Harbour,” Cunningham said.

“As we stepped him up in distance he started to get better.

“Today he carried an extra seven kilos than he had last start here so that was a big effort.”

Saturday’s opening race at Armidale also featured a mere 0.1 lengths between first and second, with $2.70 favourite Hazlebrook coming second while Zariz Daughter, incredibly, triumphed after being equal-last favourite with an SP of $41 in the field of 13.

The race meet was significant in that Armidale staged its White Ribbon Race Day in aid of anti-domestic violence.

Half of the proceeds from the gate takings were donated to The White Ribbon Foundation.