HOUSE Wins could win Sue Grills her first Les Howard Willow Tree Cup (1600m) at Quirindi on Saturday.
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He is also nominated for the $10,000 Graze at Willow Tree Inn Class 1 Handicap (1450m) but will start in the $10,000 Willow Tree Cup “if he gets a run”, confirmed his Tamworth trainer Grills.
The four-year-old chestnut son of Dubleo is third emergency for the Willow Tree Cup, with stable apprentice Wendy Peel set to ride him.
“I hope he’ll get a run,” Grills said at her stables on Friday morning. “[I] need one more to come out.”
He would jump from barrier 12 and have 57.5 kilogram, although Wendy Peel claims 3kg.
Peel said House Wins has won only a maiden and would find the race a tough one.
“Josh Oliver is riding the favourite [Herecomes Thefuzz] and they will be hard to beat,” she said.
Peel is also riding Chekkapen (race three) for Hawkesbury trainer Craig Weeding, and she likes that gelding’s chances.
“I’m also riding Herecum Da Drums for Michelle Fleming too. I won on him at Tamworth as well,” she added.
Peel will ride in Coonamble on Sunday.
“I do have some really good rides out there,” she said. She has seven mounts on an eight-race card.
On loan to Grills until the end of the year, Peel has ridden 15 winners so far. Her next big aim is to have her claim cut from 3kg to 2kg. To do so she needs to ride 20 winners.
For Grills, finding her next winner is her biggest worry. “All mine haven’t been going well enough to win,” she said.
Bad barrier draws haven’t helped. Although she has had better luck with the marbles at Quirindi, where Not A Princess might be her best chance.
“I’ve got better barrier draws down there,” she said. “Not A Princess is probably my best chance after she drew well [four].”
Grills is currently equal fourth with Stirling Osland on the Hunter and North West Racing Association trainers premiership after celebrating 18 wins this season.
2017-18 HNWRA trainers premiership (unofficial): 30 Kris Lees, 27 Brett Cavanough, 26 Paul Perry, 18 Sue Grills, Stirling Osland, 14 Rod Northam, 12 Paddy Cunningham, Craig Martin, 11 Cody Morgan, Luke Morgan, Peter Sinclair, Les Tilley, 10 Melanie O’Gorman.