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By Greg Prichard

Easily the richest race on the card at the Taree meeting on Tuesday is for horses that haven’t won a race yet and astute trainer Brett Partelle is convinced his galloper Lara’s Laulet is at least as good a chance as any in the field of breaking through.

The four-year-old mare’s five-race career so far has been run at provincial and midweek city levels and the drop to country class for the $50,000 Laurieton Super Maiden Plate over 1007m is a big part of her appeal here.

Lara’s Laulet has recorded seconds at Gosford and Hawkesbury and a third at Gosford and has not finished worse than fifth in a race.

Wyong-based trainer Brett Partelle

She is going first-up into this event and without a barrier trial after not having raced since mid-July, but Wyong-based Partelle says fitness will not be an issue.

It will be the mare’s first run for Partelle after a change of trainers and there wouldn’t be any point in him making the switch to country class with her and identifying a lucrative maiden race as a first-up target unless she was ready to perform at a high level in it.

“I’m very happy with her,” Partelle said. “Obviously it’s her first start for us and her gallops since she’s been here have been impressive.

"I like how she has put on about 30 kilos and matured and strengthened up. She’s lovely and free in her action and there’s a real glow to her.

“We wanted to keep her nice and fresh and bubbly for this race and that’s the reason we haven’t had a trial. I wanted to keep the spring in her step.

"The 1000 metres suits her very well to kick off first-up. She’s been bouncing around in the yard and looks very well.

“She’s done plenty of work and is forward enough to run a strong 1000 without a trial. She’s ready to be very competitive in a race like this.”

Lara’s Laulet competed over 1000m in her debut race at Gosford on December 31, 2022. She finished off well for a second to One Destiny in a set weights maiden for three-year-olds.

One Destiny has since won another four races, including two at the provincials and one at a Friday night meeting at Canterbury.

Meanwhile, Taree trainer Tony Ball is enthusiastic about the chances of both his runners in the Manning Point Class 1 Handicap - Heat Of The Rising Star over 1007m, but when asked to pick between them he had no hesitation.

“Mate, if Grand Horizon’s right on the day, she’ll win,” Ball said. “She’s spot on for the race, she’s just ready to go first-up.

“She had a soft barrier trial and ran third and has worked well at the track. She’s had a jump-out on top of that.

"She looks as good as when I had her to win the Big Maiden at Grafton, at her last start. She’s pretty talented and she’ll be very competitive in this race.”

Ball also has Richattack in the race, coming off two consecutive seconds.

“Richattack only just got beat in both of those races - a Benchmark 50 and a 58,” Ball said. “Back to a Class 1 here and she’ll be very hard to beat because she’s race-fit.”

The Rising Star series is for apprentice jockeys and Grand Horizon will be ridden by Mollie Fitzgerald, who is apprenticed to Ball. Richattack will be ridden by Amy McLucas.

McLucas is the equal leader in the series, with Ben Osmond. They each have 17 points. Fitzgerald is third, on 14 points. The series finishes next month.

*Gates open at 12.30pm. First race 1.50pm. Admission $10 and $5 concession. Full bar, bistro, TAB and bookmaker facilities. Visit the Facebook page Manning Valley Race Club for more information.

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