THREE Port Macquarie businessmen are hoping for firmer track conditions to aid the quest for seven-year-old gelding New Divide to win at Taree Wingham Race Club’s eight-race TAB meeting at Bushland Drive Racecourse on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They are trainer Tas Morton, Sid Brown and Paul Hassab, owners of the gelding, which ran a terrific race for third on a soft track over 1400m at Randwick last Saturday.
Adding to their hopes were the comments of top Sydney jockey James McDonald who said New Divide wasn’t comfortable in the going “and I would like to be on him in better going.”
Morton said he took those comments on board and decided to back his charge up for the Manning Valley Tourism Mid Coast Tourism Handicap over 1400m at Taree.
New Divide carried 56.5kgs in Sydney and drops to 54kgs at Taree in a stronger race.
“The horse has pulled up enormous and the only thing that will beat him is bad luck,” he said confidently.
New Divide was bought off Goree Stud for $10,000 after it had soreness problems but a year away from racing has the gelding showing his ability.
The son of Haradasan has only had 21 starts for three wins (all on good tracks) and has placed four times for prizemoney of $81,000.
Morton confidently tipped his gelding Don’t Nicme before it won at Kempsey on Monday when ridden by Port jockey Peter Graham and the same hoop takes the ride on New Divide.
But there are a few classy ones, such as Taree’s promising mare Another Valley, trained by Bob Milligan and Single Spirit,which has won eight country cups for local trainer Ross Stitt.
Four-year-old mare Another Valley won the $100,000 qualifying heat for the Country Championships at Taree and was fourth in the $400,000 Final at The Championships at Randwick in April before a spell.
She returned with two runs back in the field before showing improvement with a solid second to Wyong gelding No Bad Blood over 1400m in the $30,000 Hopkins-Livermore Cup at this track on August 19.
“She has taken a few runs to get going,” Milligan said.
“Her second was a good improvement and she is bright in her self.
“Her racing pattern is to get back and she usually takes a few runs at 1400m to do her best.”
Stitt had plans to try and win his hometown $80,000 Taree Cup until trouble struck, then was aiming for the Ballina Cup on Thursday and the Dubbo Cup.
The last two cups were scratched off the list after Single Spirit hurt himself on a walking machine, leading to an infection,and his preparation was set back two to three weeks.
“He is about 95 percent fit and all going well he will next go to the Port Macquarie Cup Prelude and the Port Cup ($100,000 race on October 7 over 2000m).”
Stitt has engaged four kilo claiming apprentice jockey, 24-year-old Chloe Baker, to aid the gelding’s comeback.
Milligan also has a strong hope with five-year-old gelding Money Ad in Stacks Law Firm Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1250m.
Although he is worried by the big weight at the gelding’s second run back from a spell,he has engaged in-form jockey Aaron Bullock for the ride.
Another strong hope in the race is last start, first-up track and distance winner,four-year-old mare Shotgun Roulette, trained on the track by Wayne Wilkes and to be ridden by his apprentice Baker.
Wilkes said the mare had done “really well” since the win and would later look for a Highway race in Sydney.
Doug Ryan’s selections:
Race 1: Gud Onya 1, Glitterama 2, Mosaytion 3.
Race 2: John 1, Commandatore 2, Banknote Beau 3.
Race 3: Snitzel’s Image 1, Dizzy Diva 2, Beebeau 3.
Race 4: Ultimate Decision 1, Onemoreamore 2, Ma Chita 3.
Race 5: New Divide 1, Another Valley 2, Single Spirit 3.
Race 6: Last Deal 1, Scarteen 2, Please Dance 3.
Race 7: Hippy High Ho 1, Money Ad 2, Shotgun Roulette 3.
Race 8: All Art 1, Jamming 2, Can’t Skate 3.