FRESH from wins at Tamworth and Grafton, Tamworth trainer Leon Davies was topping the race charts at Walcha again yesterday.
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Gelsomina debuted with a win at Tamworth last Friday and then Crooked Blaze returned from a spell to win at Grafton on Monday.
Yesterday, cups-winning star Clever Hans topped the weights for Friday’s $30,000 Elders Walcha Cup (1440m) and Blinkin Rockin topped the weights for the main support race on Friday’s Cup program, the $27,000 Woodie Wonder Ron Martin Memorial Maiden (1000m).
Blinkin Rockin topped the weights in the Ron Martin Memorial Maiden with 59kg, a half kilo above the Dwayne Schmidt-trained All Alert.
Clever Hans, winner of 11 of his 55 starts for Davies and his partner Mel Dennett, copped 61.5kg in the Elders Walcha Cup (1440m), 4kg above the next highest weight, that of last year’s runner-up Brave Ali (57.5kg).
“Both will definitely start,” Davies said last night.
“I’ll take the 3kg off him (Clever Hans) with Taylah (stable apprentice Taylah Gray) and put a senior jockey on the other little fella (Blinkin Rockin).
“I wasn’t going to start Clever Hans but Shane Cullen (chief steward) was up there today and rated it a Dead 5.
“If it stays there he’ll definitely start and then we might retire him.
“He’s stuffed in the bush now (with weight).
“He’s been a great horse for us but I don’t want him to break a leg on these hard tracks with the big weights.
“Taylah and her brother can take him barrel racing.”
In 55 starts, Clever Hans has won 11 and placed another 25 times.
He’s won Coonamble and Krambach cups as well as at Eagle Farm two starts back.
“He’s also been thereabouts in some good races,” Davies said.
“He’s finished second in a South Grafton Cup, a Dubbo Cup, a Coffs Cup and a Moree Cup.
‘The other little bloke (Blinkin Rockin) will run a good race (in the Ron Martin Maiden) too.
“He needs a senior rider and Ben Looker will ride him. He should be competitive.”
The Ron Martin Maiden attracted 32 nominations on Monday while the Cup has 20 including last year’s runner-up (Brave Ali), Glen Innes Cup winner Keep It Danish and Walcha Cup Prelude winner Jefferson Park.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees won the Cup last year with Pitt Street and has nominated Perfectly Stunning while Port Macquarie trainer Jenny Graham won the 2009 Ron Martin Maiden with Telebanco and could return to the track with Queen of the North winner Leviosa for Friday’s Cup.
A last-start winner, Leviosa has won six of her 23 starts.
