ANGELA Davies has had to use all her talents as a horsewoman to bring about a change in the mind of problem galloper Peregrine, who will start one of the favourites in today’s $15,000 John “Mouse” Sinclair Memorial Benchmark 55 Handicap (1600m).
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The Gosford trainer has booked in-form apprentice Blaike McDougall, who rode a treble at Wellington on Sunday, to ride her five-year-old she inherited as a maiden galloper from Melbourne via Sydney owner Robert Paul.
Davies met Paul 10 years back through her sister and, at the time, Paul suggested he would send her a horse to train.
Nothing happened until, out of the blue, Paul rang and asked if she would take over the training of Peregrine.
At first Davis admitted she was reluctant but Paul persisted with calls and eventually Davies agreed to the change of stables.
Early days, after first working with Peregrine, Davies said she wanted to send the gelding back.
“I thought ‘Oh my God, what have they given me here’,” she recalled.
“He was a horse that had terrible manners, he didn’t eat, hated going onto the track and just didn’t want to be there.
“He hated racing. He was awful. He was a pain to work with.”
Davies delved into her bag of tricks and worked on Peregrine’s mind, trying to get him happy to turn things around.
“I realised early on he was a horse that didn’t take too much galloping,” Davies said.
“He’s a tiny little fellow and I’ve just limited his work, tried to keep him fresh and trying to keep him happy.
“That’s been the biggest change. We’ve adjusted things to suit the horse.
“At least we’ve got him up and going with different training routines. He’s a happier horse now.”
Peregrine hasn’t won in the heavy but Mind Freak, Slippery Eel and Dubai Dusk have all won in the going.
Leading jockey Greg Ryan, who is coming off a quartet of wins at Tamworth last Friday, is engaged on Charlie Porter’s Loading in the Mouse race and Times Ticking for Quirindi trainer Peter Mills in the Les Howard Haulage Willow Tree Cup (1200m).
One of those four winners at Tamworth was Playing Game, a five-year-old mare prepared by Dar Lunn at Dubbo.
She could turn up in a fillies and mares race in Sydney shortly after she impressed Lunn by winning the JR Richards and Sons Benchmark 66 Handicap (1600m) in dashing style.
The daughter of Playing Hours came from midfield with a storming finish to run down race leader St Luke and register a length and three quarter win from Mr Smart with St Luke a neck away third.
Lunn said the winner of six previous races had been working well and deserved the win.
Ryan said she had “a lovely run”.
“We were in the right spot and she was able to switch off,” he told Lunn.
He then switched her back on for her to gather in her opponents for a seventh win.
“It was a good win,” Lunn agreed.
“Last prep she was third in the Country Championships at home. She led everywhere until the final few bounds.
“This time back she’s had no luck. She could have easily won her last three or four. She’s always shown us ability though.”
He said she would look for a “nice fillies and mares race for her somewhere”.
Ryan also finished the day with another aboard the Sue Grills-trained Rockatorio.
He has now ridden 106 winners this season with 53 of them in the HNWRA.
Mallawa Amateur Picnic Race Club received just 31 nominations for Saturday’s annual Mallawa Cup meeting with six in the 1400m Picnic Cup.
All five races have been extended while Muswellbrook Race Club had a huge 164 nominations for Friday’s eight-race TAB meeting, 27 of them in the 1280m Coolmore Jerrys Plains Open.
