TAMWORTH Jockey Club’s preparations for their huge and record Mercure Tamworth Cup meeting on Sunday, April 29 will be aided by some of the closest premiership races between trainers and jockeys seen for many seasons.
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The TJC has eight races programmed at the end of the month worth $405,000 in prizemoney.
Not only is the Mercure Tamworth Cup (1400m) worth a record $150,000 but some of the support races, such as the Wests Entertainment Group Mornington Showcase Handicap (2100m) and the Aristocrat John Clift Memorial Benchmark 70 Handicap (1000m) carry $50,000 in prizemoney.
While local Hunter and North West Racing Association trainers and jockeys are all intent on capturing some of that huge prizemoney, there is also some intense competition for premiership supremacy in the trainer and jockey ranks.
At the head of the trainers’ premiership is Scone’s Brett Cavanough.
Since moving to Scone from Albury he has trained winners across the state and now sits atop the HNWRA with perennial premiership winner Paul Perry.
Both, unofficially, have 22 winners for the HNWRA season, two ahead of Kris Lees while Tamworth trainer Sue Grills has 16 winners and Stirling Osland, who won the recent Guyra Cup with Exilia Miss on his home Armidale track, has 14.
Osland starts Currabub in an 1100m maiden at Armidale on Wednesday.
Brett Cavanough’s imprint on the HNWRA has been large and impressive, HNWRA chief steward Shane Cullen confirmed.
“He’s brought with a level of professionalism I’d like to see across the board,” Cullen said.
“His stable practices are first rate and he has a large team up over 60 horses.”
There are two meetings at Armidale and Cessnock on Wednesday leading into this Sunday’s Tamworth Cup meeting and Cavanough is likely to have runners at both.
“The way his horses are presented is what you’d expect from a stable that size and the way his horses keep their form is impressive,” Cullen continued.
“Then you have Paul Perry. He does what he does year in and year out and Kris Lees is the top of the tree anywhere.”
While Cavanough and Perry are neck and neck there is a four-man bottleneck at the head of the jockey’s premiership.
Josh Oliver and Aaron Bullock, who rode a double at Merriwa on Saturday, are on 30 wins apiece while Ben Looker and Greg Ryan have ridden 29. Grant Buckley (26) is close up while Robert Thompson and Rachael Murray both have 24 winners.
“Josh Oliver is a natural talent,” Cullen said.
“I rate him in the above average category but he has to decide how far he wants push it. Aaron Bullock has done a great job with his weight and Ben Looker has put his head down and has matured as a rider.
“With his win in the recent Country Championship Final I’ve noticed a change. He is more professional and the rewards for that hard work can be seen.
“Greg Ryan is the ultra professional. Works harder than anyone and his knowledge of the local racing without question.
“Grant Buckley is a super hard worker. An absolute tradesman, rarely makes a mistake in a race.”
Thompson is “without peer” and Murray a talented and hard working jockey.
Of the apprentices, he has seen a lot of Mikayla Weir (who sits second) and believes she has much in store for her.
“She has always shown enormous potential and is about to outride her country claim. She’s ridden 78 winners,” Cullen said.
“She is also about to realise the steps she must take to compete with the likes of Greg Ryan, Robert Thompson and Aaron Bullock at level weights.
“I’d like to think there is a place for her in metropolitan racing with a three-kilogram claim down there. She is riding work two mornings a week in Newcastle but she has to take the next step.”
HUNTER & NORTH WEST RACING ASSOCIATION PREMIERSHIPS
Unofficial as at Wednesday, April 18 (supplied by Geoff Newling).
TRAINERS: 22 Brett Cavanough, Paul Perry, 20 Kris Lees, 16 Sue Grills, 14 Stirling Osland, 13 Rod Northam, 11 Paddy Cunningham, Luke Morgan, 10 Les Tilley, 9 Craig Martin, 8 Todd Howlett, Paul Messara, 7 Jason Deamer, Michelle Fleming, Paul Grills, Mark Mason, Cody Morgan, Peter Sinclair.
JOCKEYS: 30 Aaron Bullock, Josh Oliver, 29 Ben Looker, Greg Ryan, 26 Grant Buckley, 24 Robert Thompson, Rachael Murray, 15 Josh Adams, 14 Andrew Gibbons, 12 Mitchell Bell, Peter Graham, Jodi Worley, 11 Chris O’Brien, Vad Bolozhinskyi, 10 Geoff Snowden.
APPRENTICES: 10 Chloe Baker, 9 Mikayla Weir, 8 Clayton Gallagher, 7 Cejay Graham, 6 Louise Day, 4 Jean Van Overmeire, 3 Robbie Dolan, Chelsea Ings, Lexie McPherson, Adam Spinks, Chris Williams, 2 Carla Dougherty, Jamie Gibbons, Leah Kilner, Hyosik Lee, Miki Nakao, Alena Skerritt, Jackson Murphy.
1: Nyssa Burrells, Kellie Holding, Rachel Hunt, Emma Ljung, Blaike McDougall, Kirk Matheson, Claire Nutman, Olivia Pickering, Sally Sweeney.
