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By Greg Prichard

Fresh from qualifying stable star That’s Molly for the $1 million Newhaven Park Country Championships Final, trainer Glen Milligan aims to add to that success at Tuesday’s Hannam Vale Cup meeting on his home racecourse at Taree.

Milligan will have three runners on the eight-event Manning Valley Race Club card and is particularly keen on the chances of Santatime in the second race, the TAB Maiden Plate over 1600m.

Don’t wait for Christmas, or even Christmas in July, because if Santatime - currently quoted as a $5 chance with TAB - wins and you’re on-board it will make a nice little gift to yourself in late March.

Trainer Glen Milligan - will have three runners on his home track this Tuesday

The three-year-old gelding has had just the three career starts and has performed well each time without winning.

He has gone up in distance each time, from 1000m to 1200m, then to 1400m and now 1600m and this trip looks the most suitable yet for him since he has been finishing off well in his races.

After resuming from a lengthy spell Santatime will be having his third run of this campaign and Milligan believes he is ready to strike.

And the trainer’s judgement looks spot on at the moment after he produced That’s Molly to win the Northern Country Championships Wild Card at the big odds of $41 at Scone last Friday.

“The track beat ‘Molly’ in the Country Championships qualifier at Tuncurry,” Milligan said. “It was bottomless that day after all the rain and even though she has a good record on wet tracks she couldn’t get through that.

“But she’s been flying in her trackwork and I thought she’d run a massive race at Scone, which she did. We got $61 each-way, so it was a big day.”

Milligan will combine with his new stable apprentice, Teighan Worsnop, for the first time when he saddles up Santatime.

“Teighan has come up from Albury to join us,” Milligan said. “She’s already ridden 38 winners and still claims two kilograms and I’m hoping to kick her off the right foot with a winner.

“Santatime is my best hope for Tuesday’s meeting. He’s going well in his work at home and the mile should suit him very nicely. He’s been looking for that distance. It’ll be a wet track, but that won’t bother him.

“He’s developing well and come next preparation I think he’ll make a very nice horse, but we’d obviously like a win or two in the meantime and he can certainly win on Tuesday.”

The Taree track rating had improved from a Heavy 9 over the weekend to a Heavy 8 on Monday, with further drying weather ahead of the meeting.

Milligan’s other runners are King Cornelius ($16 with TAB) in the Coopernook Hotel Class 1 Handicap over 1400m and Highland Raider ($26) in the Elsmere Pastoral Country Boosted Class 1 Handicap over 1250m.

“I expect them both to run well, but whatever they do on Tuesday they should improve on later in this campaign,” he said.

*Gates open at 12.30pm. First race 1.15pm. Admission $10 and $5 concession. Full bar, bistro, TAB and bookmaker facilities. Visit Facebook page Manning Valley Race Club for more information.

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