SUE Grills finished third in the Hunter and North West Racing Association trainer’s premiership last season but had made a slow start to the new season. That changed at Tuesday’s Tamworth meeting.
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The Tamworth trainer posted a winning double at her home track with Polskie Prince and Assurity, and chases more success at Mendooran on Saturday as well as Sunday’s big Moree Cup meeting.
Grills has Manhattan Monty running at Mendooran while she has a truckload of six to race on Sunday at Moree – Blinkin Fast, Drawn To You, Not A Princess, Inafernanika, Mary Thinks and Two More Angels.
Her double at Tuesday’s Tamworth meeting was just the tonic for her after a slow start to the new season had left her with no wins in the first four weeks.
She was ecstatic after both Polskie Prince and Assurity were surprise winners.
“I haven’t trained a winner here since I don’t know when,” she joked as she walked to the winner’s stall to discuss Assurity’s victory with jockey Travis Wolfgram.
It was also a red letter day for Wolfgram, who rode his first winner for Grills, and “D-Day” for Assurity.
“It was D-Day for her,” Grills said.
“We had to decide whether to keep going with her or to go to stud. We’ve decided to keep her going,” she said of a six-year-old daughter of Not A Single Doubt, after she posted her fourth win in 19 starts.
Meanwhle, the Moree Race Club received 126 nominations for the eight-race Cup program – 18 in the $40,000 Moree Cup (1400m) and 10 in the $30,000 Moree Town Plate (950m).
Gunnedah Cup runner-up Mishani Stealth (Shane Edmonds) is one of the Cup nominees, along with last-start winners Belflyer (John Shelton) and Naranja (Pat Webster).
Also nominated are local hope Real Blonde (Peter Sinclair) and the talented Craig Martin-trained Present Sense, who finished third in the Narromine and Gunnedah cups in his last two starts.
9TAB2017-18 HUNTER & NORTH WEST RACING ASSOCIATION PREMIERSHIPS
Unofficial as of August 30.
TRAINERS
5: Paul Perry.
4: Brett Cavanough.
2: Jan Bowen, Melissa Dennett, Sue Grills, Kris Lees, Greg McFarlane, Stirling Osland, Benjamin Smith, George Woodward.
1: David Atkins, Peter Atkins, Tracy Bell, Marc Connors, Mark Cross, Clare Cunningham, Angela Davies, Allan Denham, Terry Evans, Allan Foran, Richard Freedman, Kylie Gavenlock, Gavin Groth, Mark Hatch, Todd Howlett, Richard Jackson, Lesley Jeffriess, Stephen Jones, Allan Kehoe, Tim McIntosh, Paul Messara, Peter Mills, Melanie O’Gorman, Todd Payne, Grant Prosser, Les Roberts, Peter Robl, Gerald Ryan, Mark Schmetzer, Alan Smith, Dean Smith, Theresa Stair, Nancy Stewart, Luke Thomas, Sally Torrens, Jason Waters, Brad Widdup, Wayne Wilkes, Gayna Williams.
JOCKEYS
7: Josh Adams.
5: Grant Buckley, Andrew Gibbons.
4: Christian Reith, Travis Wolfgram.
3: Rachael Murray, Greg Ryan.
2: Mitchell Bell, Peter Graham, Belinda Hodder, Jeff Kehoe, Ben Looker, Robert Thompson.
1: Shane Arnold, Anthony Cavallo, Allan Chau, Luke Cumberland, Bobby El-Issa, Leanne Henry, Paul King, Daniel Northey, Serg Lisnyy, Jodi Worley.
APPRENTICES
2: Chloe Baker, Jamie Gibbons, Cejay Graham.
1: Nyssa Burrells, Chelsea Ings, Blaike McDougall, Jean Van Overmeire, Mikayla Weir.
