KOOTINGAL’S Ian (Spud) Verning has enjoyed a career spanning decades training and driving his beloved pacers, but one of his most memorable wins would no doubt be if Alyeska Dream could win today’s 1980m Perc Verning Memorial at Tamworth Paceway.
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The Verning clan lost their beloved pop this time last year, so what better to honour the dedicated trotting fan than the eye-catching trophy the family has donated in his honour.
The trophy itself will be housed in Tamworth Harness Racing Club’s office with names of winners of the memorial race to be added to it annually.
And the popular trainer would love nothing better than have his name head that list.
“It would be really nice,” he said.
“Though it could mean us (along with his brother Jack and sister Bev Cloake) presenting the trophy to me,” he joked.
Five-year-old mare Alyeska Dream, Verning’s only starter today, strung together two wins at Armidale during its Carnival of Cups in March, both under the guidance of teenage reinsman Tom Ison. In her following two though she was unplaced, beaten over 20 metres on each occasion.
“Tommy didn’t drive her in her last two, but he’s back Thursday. He knows how to handle her, doesn’t knock her about and she races well for him.
“I just tell him what to do at the start, and the rest is up to him.”
Verning doesn’t have any definite solutions for the mare’s two recent results.
“At Tamworth (in 1980m free-for-all) there were three false starts, so that could have put her off a bit.
“But at Inverell (in 2000m C2 only class), I don’t know what happened. She’s won there before.
“But she’s working well, as well as she was when she won.”
Another feature today will be heat three of the Club Dubbo Dooza Golden Gig, according to THRC racing manager Laurie James.
“The winner and runner-up in that will qualify for the final to be held at Dubbo on May 17.”
And looking for tickets to that will be Narrabri pacer Big Riddle and Tamworth filly Rosie ORourke.
Both are last start winners.
Rosie ORourke, trained at Tamworth by Tony Missen, took out the 1980m Three-Year-Old Oaks on her home track on April 16 while the Peter Shepherdson-trained three-year-old Big Riddle can boast victory over 2000m at Inverell on April 26.
o Turn to Page 23 for the full fields, form for today’s Tamworth Harness Racing Club meeting at Tamworth Paceay. The first of eight races starts at 1.56pm with the Australian Training and Consulting Pace (1980m).
