TIM Coates, fresh from Warialda and Lightning Ridge Cup wins, is chasing cup success of a different kind at this Sunday’s Tamworth Jockey Club Carlton Mid Tamworth Cup meeting.
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The sporting Coates, who is also coach of the Oxley Vale Attunga Mushrooms in the Northern Inland Football Premier League, is Tamworth Jockey Club chairman and is rolling out the red carpet to all trainers and owners over the weekend hoping they will nominate and race at Sunday’s eight-race meeting.
Over the past two weekends, Coates has tasted his own personal success as a owner, with The Early Bird winning the Warialda Cup for his Gunnedah trainer Gavin Groth and then the Joe Craig-trained Lucidly winning Saturday’s Lightning Ridge in class record time for Craig, who leases the gelding off Coates.
“They were two nice little country cups to win,” Coates said.
“The Early Bird won well at Warialda and was at Mudgee (unplaced on Sunday). Gavin might start him in the Gunnedah Cup.
“Lucidly was a great win, in class record time too.
“Joe leased another one of our horses, Crown Madica, with a bit of success and I told him recently I had another (Lucidly) out in the paddock.
“So he leased him too and has done really well with him in the four starts he’s given him. He’s finished sixth, third, second and then won at Lightning Ridge.
“He might look around for a few more little country cups. A race like the Binnaway Cup maybe.”
This Saturday’s Merriwa Cup (1350m) might be too soon, Coates said of a cup meeting that leads in to a Tamworth Cup meeting dispensing about $215,000 in prizemoney on Sunday.
As Tamworth chairman, Coates is confident of providing a successful day for owners, trainers and racegoers alike.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what nominations we get for the Cup,” he said.
“They should be very good and will make it a tough race. I think it’s going to be a cracker.
“The track is in great nick.
“I was talking to the trainers after the last meeting and they all said how good it was racing. They were coming from behind or leading – there was no bias and the best horses were winning.”
Sunday’s Cup meeting is part of a busy week.
Muswellbrook Race Club staged its Singleton Cup meeting yesterday, Armidale Jockey Club has its Anzac Day non-TAB meeting on Friday and Merriwa Race Club stages its once-a-year Merriwa Cup meeting on Saturday.
Nominations for Merriwa and Tamworth Cup meetings close at 11am today.
