Look out Menangle here come some very handy north-west horses!
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Saturday night is the big night for the Tony Missen stables when He’s Our Boy contests the $20,000 Prepress Club Menangle Country Series Final at Menangle (Race 5 at 7.47pm).
He’s Our Boy entered the final after taking out his heat at Tamworth back on September 14 with Maitland reinsman Dan Morgan in the gig. Morgan has retained the drive at Menangle.
It will also be a big moment for Tamworth owners Greg and Annemarie Sampson who bred He’s Our Boy and have seen the gelding collect eight wins in his career.
He’s Our Boy has drawn the eight barrier and will compete against other heat winners in Shandance from the Steve Turnbull stables who won his heat at Bathurst in 1.58.9, Sofine Girl from the Judy Rutland stables who won the Wagga heat with a mile rate of 1.59.9 and the Amanda Turnbull-trained Executive Dash who won his heat in 1.56.4.
He’s Our Boy won his heat in 1.57.7 for 1609m at Tamworth so if times are any indication it is going to be a tough race but regardless of the outcome it will be a first for both Missen and He’s Our Boy to make their debut at Menangle.
Meanwhile, Armidale pacer Mary Todd Shannon will contest the $20,000 Distribution Club Menangle Where Horses Fly Final at Menangle from the three barrier (Race 6 @8.18pm). Trained at Armidale by Les Enks, Mary Todd Shannon has the services of inform Sydney reinsman Todd McCarthy and gained entry to the final when she finished second to Never Know Charlie at Tamworth.
THE Tamworth-based Richard Williams stables also has two runners at the Menangle meeting and both have drawn a spot in the same race – the Sales Team Pace (Race 4).
Coralie Joy has drawn the number two barrier and will have the services of Lauren Tritton. (Coralie Joy raced at Tamworth on Wednesday night and finished second to the Julie Hobday trained Western Safari with Sarah Rushbrook in the gig.) Gottashopearly will be chasing back to back wins from the number four barrier with David Morris in the gig.
Reinsman Dan Morgan will also guide another Tamworth heat winner in Never Know Charlie who won the second heat conducted at Tamworth and is trained by his father Paul at Maitland (Race 6 at 8.18pm).
We wish all our local contenders good luck at headquarters.
THERE was plenty of cheering in the final event at the Wagga harness meeting last Saturday night in what was classified as a “boil over” when Lettucefireharvey won the Don Alchin Memorial.
Trained and driven by Len Clement, who became well known a couple of years back for his “bucket list” travels to ensure that he had a drive on all tracks in NSW, made it look so easy when he guided the Courage Under Fire-Starring Jordan gelding to an all-the-way win.
What was an even more pleasing result was the $69 paid out to punters for the win.
Clement, a former north-west trainer, has now made his home in Coolamon with wife Christine.
THE current HRNSW Rising Star and NSW Standardbred Owners Association Ambassador Madi Young has made the announcement that she is about to make Tamworth her home.
It was an easy decision for the 20-year-old rising star who already has plenty of wins on the board at Tamworth in her own right.
Currently based in Sydney and driving for the Kerryann Turner/Robbie Morris stables and prior to that the Lauren and Shane Tritton stables, Madi Young has so far driven 65 winners in her career.
The move will see Madi working for her stepfather Greg Coney who, along with his wife Tneal, has now set up home in Tamworth from the Shoalhaven suburb of Worrigee.
Madi Young will divert her trip home this weekend to have a couple of drives at the big Eugowra Canola Cup meeting on Monday afternoon.
MANILLA reinswoman Courtney Sutherland will make her debut tonight in the JC Caffyn Indigenous Drivers Invitational series at Wagga and has scored a drive in two heats – Race 3 at 7.03pm behind the David Micallef-trained Rocknroll Queen and then again in Race 5 at 9.03pm behind Lauriston Dash from the Trevor White stables.
THE $30,000 Lexus of Parramatta Canola Cup Final will be contested on Monday afternoon at 3.58pm in the small town of Eugowra. Keep an eye out for former norther trainer Peter Bullock who has Enk Spot Shannon engaged in the Silver Consolation.
HARNESS racing at Tamworth has now been transferred to Armidale with meetings on October 4 and 18 and November 8 and 15 with a return to Tamworth on November 22. The reason the meetings have been transferred is for work on a new stalls roof and a new officials’ pod. There will still be plenty of action to be seen at the Tamworth at Armidale meetings to report on for Keeping Pace. Trials will remain at Tamworth on Tuesday evenings every week.