LESLEY Jeffriess and Darren Jones combined to win a second Coonabarabran Cup on Monday with All Again but, while Jeffriess has two runners in tomorrow’s St Kilda Hotel/Barbarians Rugby Club Benchmark 55 Handicap (1300m) at Armidale, Jones will be on another starter.
The Tamworth-based jockey will ride Clear Knight for his wife, Tamworth trainer Sheridan Jones.
It means Jeffriess, who won the 2008 and 2012 Coona Cups with All Again and Jones, has booked Tamworth apprentice Sophie Young to ride Heistmaster and Scott Thurlow to ride Stretch.
However she believes both her runners are “no hope”.
“They are both second up after a spell,” Jeffriess said.
“Both will need the run.
“Anyway I had my go this week.”
She was talking about Monday’s Coona Cup win with nine-year-old All Again.
“We might take him out to Warren now for the Cattleman’s Cup,” she said.
“That’s on the 11th, the day after Misso’s wedding.”
Misso is former apprentice Tony Missen, who had a number of runners at yesterday’s Tamworth Harness Racing Club meeting.
While Heistmaster and Stretch might need another run under their belts they will be in the reckoning at some stage tomorrow.
Heistmaster is raced by a large syndicate, while Stretch includes Jeffriess, Norma Jurd, John Manning, Bruce Potter, Dennis Graham and Kris Thomas.
In September, Thomas won the Romantic Dream 2YO Plate at Tamworth with the David Hatch-trained Coop N Demp, winning a motza with a gelding who started at around 70-1.
Topweight tomorrow is Rocky Dancer, winner of four of his last five starts including the Manilla Cup at Gunnedah last time out.
He has Tamworth apprentice Patrick Lo aboard and claiming two kilograms from his 61kg.
They will jump from barrier three while the talented Inverell mare Jewel Passport goes from barrier 6 for veteran trainer John Berger and Coffs Harbour jockey Matthew Bennett.
Heistmaster has drawn barrier two for Jeffriess, Stretch barrier one and Clear Knight goes from barrier four.
Sue Grills, who will be presented with her Hunter and North West Racing Association trainers’ premiership at Armidale tomorrow, also has Tobouggie With You engaged.
Leanne Henry will partner the gelding but they have drawn the outside nine barrier.
Armidale-trained Zar Express (Ian Cook) and She’s A Cutie (Paul Grills) drew seven and eight respectively yesterday while the Ernie Vine-trained Durham County completed the field, beginning from the five barrier.
o HNWRA racing heads to Moree next week with an eight-race twilight TAB meeting. Nominations for that meeting close 11am Monday.