WALCHA trainer George Woodward had two runners at Tamworth last week, bookending the meeting by winning the first race with Foreign Secretary and the last with Grande Zariz.
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Today, Woodward backs the same pair up at Armidale, sending Foreign Secretary, a 50-1 chance last week, around in the $15,000 Clubs NSW Fillies and Mares Benchmark 55 Handicap (1100m) and Grande Zariz in an 1100m B55 handicap.
They are the final two races on the seven-race TAB meeting and both will be ridden by Marlon Dolendo who rode them so successfully at Tamworth.
Foreign Secretary has drawn barrier 10 today while Grande Zariz jumps from 11, the latter also chasing a third win in four starts.
Both won at big odds last week but will be considerably shorter today in the Soft 7 going.
How Will I Know is also chasing a second win at Armidale and her first for her new trainer, Sean Thomas, today.
Originally trained by Luke Griffith, she has now been taken over by Thomas following Griffith’s four- year drugs disqualification, reported Tony White.
The daughter of Street Sense is owned and raced by Wayne Brown and Thomas manages a property for Brown as well as preparing the mare for him.
How Will I Know made her debut for Thomas when a close second to Playing Game in a 1200m Class 3 at Gunnedah on May 10.
“It was a good effort,” Thomas said.
“She was just pipped.”
How Will I Know has been in constant work, bar a 36-day freshen-up, since December 22 last year when she made her debut under Griffith.
“She’s had a few runs this preparation,” Thomas said, understating the statistics.
“She’s going to be due for a spell soon but she’s going good and showing no signs of training off.”
During that period, How Will I Know has won twice (Coonamble and Armidale) in nine starts.
Thomas said How Will I Know, a big mare, has her own peculiarities.
“She’s very frisky, a wilful mare,” Thomas said.
“She likes to boss you around. She’d walk over the top of you if you let her.”
Thomas added the mare’s work had been good since her Gunnedah run.
“She’s still ticking over really well,” he said. “I expect her to go well tomorrow.”
How Will I Know has drawn ideally in barrier three and will be ridden by Ben Looker.
