THE pressure of the $400,000 Country Final of The Championships for Mid North Coast gallopers takes centre stage in a Prelude to the $100,000 qualifier at Krambach Race Club’s TAB meeting at Bushland Drive Racecourse, Taree, on Tuesday.
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Most of them are entered for the Coopernook Hotel Hannam Vale Country Championships Preview Class 4 Handicap over 1300m but others are nominated for the Col Cowan’s Budgeree Hosteins Class 2 Plate over 1412m.
The club has decided that the Prelude will double as the annual Hannam Vale Cup which boasts a trophy of an old cream can and a horse rug donated by Ken and Jan Rowe from the Coopernook Hotel.
Entry is free and the club is expecting an enthusiastic crowd, many of them coming from the Hannam Vale district in a free bus.
Many of the aspirants in the Prelude are last start winners, some have been racing well in the city,and others will be hoping to get that extra win or qualifying prizemoney to be in the qualifier at the $240,000 Taree Wingham Race Club TAB meeting,the richest meeting staged by the club,on Sunday,February 28.
The step-up to 1312 of the cup and the 1412m of the Class 2 Plate should provide ample grounding for the qualifier and the final at Royal Randwick on April 2, both being over 1400m.
Taree trainer Cliff Bashford has been at pains to find the right races for his two,Taree recent winner Ever So National and city winner two starts back in Ocean Grand.
Four-year-old gelding Ever So Natural ran slick time when scoring over 1005m at Taree on January 19 and that was when carrying top weight and being two classes out of its depth.
It has since run third over 1100m at Canterbury on February 3 and that run should have the gelding cherry-ripe to be hard to beat in the step-up in distance.
Four-year-old gelding Ocean Grand scored over 1200m at Rosehill in a Highway race,wasn’t suited by the soft track when 8th over 1100m at Royal Randwick on January 26 and was scratched from a 1200m race at Royal Randwick on Saturday after rain softened the track.
He was a hot favourite in a race at Coffs Harbour on Friday and it will be a wait-and-see job as to whether he will take his place here.
Bashford has high opinions of both gallopers and feels the 1400m of the qualifier and final are suitable.
He had a $400,000 offer from Hong Kong owners fall over when Ocean Grand didn’t pass a vet test but the gelding has shed any conceived problems and Bashford is looking forward to winning the offer money through racing the galloper.
He also had an offer of over $150,000 for Ever So Natural but knocked it back
Coming into form in the past few months is Taree three-year-old filly Another Valley,having had three wins from its past five starts for astute mentor Bob Milligan.
The filly took on Sydney company and ran an honest third before scoring at Tuncurry at her last start.
Port Macquarie trainer Neil Godbolt has had long range plans for Dixie Lad to contest The Championships but it was also dual accepted at Coffs on Friday.
Talented Taree mare Marmaduke’s Lady is another with a long-range plan to be there after she just missed out on the final last year.
Her trainer Pablo Shultz had her barrier trial at Taree’s last meeting and the five-year-old mare won it and she usually races best when resuming,such is the case here.
Taree winners at its last meeting, Port’s Miss Money Talks and Shotgun Roulette are tackling the Class 2 Plate and are definite hopes on those runs.
Four-year-old Port mare Miss Money Talks, trained by Glen Hodge, came from well back to score in the last couple of bounds over 1255m, making it two wins and three placings from six starts.
“In her first preparation she ripped and teared in her races but now she is learning how to race,” Hodge said.
Owners paid $10,000 for the mare which had a throat operation before she raced.
Three-year-old Port filly Shotgun Roulette, trained by Wayne Wilkes won at only her third start and also came from the rear to win.
“That’s her pattern of racing…she did the same in her trials,'' Wilkes said..
“I would like her to be in The Championships and I am hoping that I have enough wins for her to be there.”
It was a promising win as she was hampered at the start and during running.
There are plenty of others which could upset in the two most intriguing races,well worth the free entry,on a card packed with plenty of action and excitement.
Doug Ryan's selections:
RACE 1: Dupair 1, Brobak 2, Takeover Tiger 3.
RACE 2: Going Grey 1, Rivadorf 2, All You 3.
RACE 3: Va Va Voom 1, Can’t Skate 2, Tarlee Lane 3.
RACE 4: Ultimate Decision 1, Early Opener 2, Di’s Diamond 3.
RACE 5: Ever So Natural 1, Ocean Grand 2, Another Valley 3.
RACE 6: Naranja 1, Golden Perch 2, Mi Sassy 3.
RACE 7: Miss Money Talks 1, Shotgun Roulette 2, Hawiian Rose 3.
RACE 8: Bolivian Dash 1, Sumitro 2, Ibelieveinmiracles 3.