IWATANI returns to Tamworth on Friday chasing a first win on his home track.
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The Mark Hatch-trained chestnut gelding has had two runs at Tamworth for no return in a 14-start career that has yielded three wins and his trainer knows Friday’s $30,000 Corey’s Catering Class 3 Showcase Handicap (1400m) will be tough.
“I had a look at the field, it’s a strong race,” Mark Hatch said today.
“He didn’t run too bad a race here first up. The other time he broke his tongue tie and choked down.
“He’s a nice horse but has drawn bad (12). That doesn’t help, we’ll probably have to go forward.”
The four-year-old gelding won at Gunnedah two starts back before running fourth to Snappy One on a Heavy 10 at Muswellbrook on June 9 and steps out in a race with an abundance of chances, such as Armidale mare Prada Miss.
The Stirling Osland-trained daughter of Northern Meteor had won at Armidale and Grafton before heading north and finishing an unlucky second to Candika at Doomben.
At her most recent outing she wasn’t disgraced when 13th to Good Standing in a listed race at Doomben on May 13.
She returns after a freshen up to face Iwatani as well as four last start winners – Kool Vinnie (Kris Lees), Assurity (Sue Grills), Leica’s Lass (Brett Cavanough) and Clipaholic (Bill Perrett).
Then there are the likes of Puzzling Wonder, a Mack Griffith-prepared gelding who was third at Tamworth three starts back under a big weight before winning at Mudgee and then running a good fourth to Hay Now in a highway handicap at Rosehill.
The form doesn’t end there with the David Atkins-trained Fratellino coming off three wins in his last five starts.
The Newcastle gelding won at Taree and then led all the way at Newcastle before venturing to Warwick Farm for a sixth to Pelethronious.
Image Of Love (Paul Grills) and Lady Corelli (Benjamin Smith) also have claims, the latter one of four runners for a Newcastle stable that has produced the brilliant little mare In Her Time.
HNWRA premiership (unofficial)
43: Paul Perry.
30: Kris Lees.
26: Greg Bennett, Sue Grills.
21: Rod Northam.
14: Jane Clement, Mark Schmetzer.
13: Paddy Cunningham.
12: Leon Davies.
11: Cody Morgan.
10: Bjorn Baker.
9: Gavin Groth, Paul Messara, Stirling Osland, Peter Sinclair.
8: Jason Deamer, Allan Denham, Paul Grills, George Woodward.
7: Craig Martin, Mark Mason, Brett Partelle, Matthew Smith.
6: Damien Lane, Les Tilley, Scott Thompson, Sally Torrens.
5: Angela Davies, Michelle Fleming, Mark Hatch, Todd Howlett, Luke Morgan, Rodney Robb.