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By Graeme White

It was a special moment money can’t buy when Tough James won his latest start for trainer Garry Worsnop and his granddaughter Teighan.

The duo will be striving to replicate the feat when Tough James races at Narrandera on Saturday after a breakthrough victory at Gundagai earlier this month.

Garry only trains a couple of horses at Albury, but when he does have a horse racing like Tough James he stick solids with his 21-year-old granddaughter.

Trainer Garry Worsnop with Nothin’ Like Harry. Image by The Border Mail

It’s a trait in his family as Tough James is named after one of his grandsons as were his previous horses, Nothin’ Like Harry and Big Haz.

“All the horses are named after family. I only train a couple and have some young one’s coming through,” he said.

“It was magnificent when Tough James won – I was over the moon for Teighan.

“She has been riding him since he was a yearling and they know each other pretty well.

“It was only his second win, but he has always been in the placings or up near them.”

Worsnop worked in the mines for many years before returning to Albury and taking up training a decade ago. It’s a slower-paced lifestyle these days and one he is relishing with his family and horses.

Winning races is one thing, but doing it with family is another and that’s why he is so pleased to see Teighan making inroads in her riding career. She has ridden Tough James in his past nine starts which says plenty about the family loyalty.

Teighan is apprenticed to Garry, but has been riding on loan to fellow trainer Phil Sweeney. She has rides in five of the six races on Saturday including two for Sweeney.

It’s a step up in grade for Tough James in the Narrandera Jewellers Benchmark 50 (1200m), but Worsnop feels the gelding can again be competitive.

Purchased as a yearling by his trainer-owner, Tough James has improved this preparation and will be a threat over the distance even though his best is at 1400 metres.

“He is a bit headstrong so it’s hard t get him out to 1400 metres,” he said. “I expect him to be up near the front somewhere and hopefully finish in the first four again.

“The horse has been a slow learner and has only won two races, but is never too far away.”

When his racing days are over, Tough James will have a home for life with Worsnop just like Nothin Like Harry and Big Haz. The former was a promising horse running second at his latest start at Flemington, while Big Haz won four races.

“They are both finished racing and were good horses. I have some young ones to work on and that keeps me going,” Worsnop added.

The consistent Willybeafactor will have his first start for new trainer George Dimitropoulos and also his first run for three weeks. The gelding won three consecutive races at Wagga in May and June and has finished third and fourth three times in subsequent starts.

Crimson Hoffa is likely to start one of the favourites after a recent win at Wagga. The gelding was trapped wide from an outside alley when finishing ninth at Wagga on Sunday, but this time has the advantage of the inside barrier.

Meanwhile, if past history is anything to go by father and son Ron and Russell Steiner are in for an interesting battle with their horses in the Wagga and District Racing Supporters Club Benchmark 50 (1400m).

Interestingly they will saddle up recent Narrandera winners War Blues and Land Of The Brave in the same race. It’s the first time they have raced against each other as trainers with Ron recalling a close encounter when they were jockeys.

“We rode horses for sisters Sue Stripe and Robyn Burnett and Russ won and I finished a close second,” he said. “Russ had just started his apprenticeship and I had been riding for years and he got up and beat me.”

Maybe Steiner senior can get one back on his son on Saturday.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Narrandera here