SALLY Torrens and Zach Hatch are two young trainers looking to snare Melbourne Cup day success at the Tamworth Jockey Club’s Single Builders race meeting on Tuesday.
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For Tamworth trainer Zach Hatch, it’s a case of his whole stable turning out in the $6000 Single Builders Class 1 Handicap (1000m), while Gunnedah-based Torrens hopes to enjoy her first day at Tamworth’s Melbourne Cup meeting with success with one or all of her three runners.
“Never been to the Melbourne Cup day meeting at Tamworth,” Sally Torrens said.
“Should be a great day. Have three in – Thalj (R1), As A Hawk (R3) and Stirling Shadow (R4) – and they should all run well.”
She said Jodi Worley will ride As A Hawk with Sophie Young on her other pair.
As A Hawk, a five-year- old son of Tamworth stallion Ready As, has been a consistent runner for Torrens.
“He has been thereabouts,” she said.
“Been consistent and a bit unlucky. The other day at Armidale he got back on a very heavy track and did make up some ground. Hopefully he will go all right. He’s honest enough.”
He has drawn barrier one while Zach Hatch’s only runner, Wedel, has drawn outside him in barrier two, although Hatch would have rathered to have been a bit wider.
“He gets a bit windy of other horses,” Zach Hatch said today.
“I would have rathered drawn out. And 1200m might have been a bit better for him.”
Wedel is the only last start winner in the field having won his maiden over 1010m at Inverell on October 15.
The four-year- old grey gelding was originally trained by his father Mark but when he moved to Scone to train he left the son of Youthful Legs with his son to train for family friend, Graeme Yeates.
“That was a good win at Inverell,” Zach said.
“The time was nothing flash and he really wants a hard track, he likes to be on top of the ground. But Melbourne Cup day has always been good to us, we’ve always had some luck.”
Melbourne Cup day has always been good to the TJC too with big crowds expected to flock trackside on Tuesday, after last year’s phantom meet.
Acting CEO Helen Sinclair said the track, which was rated a four, is now rated a soft six after Sunday night’s rain.
“We had 18mm of rain [on Sunday night] but that won't affect the racing surface,” she said.
“The track has been rated at a soft six, I think it will stay at that, but it maybe upgraded after the first race.”
The non-TAB meeting will see 50 runners in five races, and an all but sold out crowd is expected.
“All of our marquees are now booked and everything is sold out pretty much, with a couple off odd tickets left,” Ms Sinclair said.
“It’s a very social day for us.
“We have marquees, hospitality tents and fashions in the field. The marquees and tents are all full.”
Racing starts at 1.30pm.
