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By Geoff Newling

Husonique chases a trio of wins at Tamworth on Friday as his local trainer also considers a tilt at a Grafton Cup. Lesley Jeffriess trains the six-year-old chestnut gelding for a Tamworth syndicate.

The son of Husson has won six of his 30 starts for just over $93,000 and a win in tomorrow’s $30,000 JT Fossey Benchmark 65 Showcase Handicap (2100m) would tip him through the $100,000 prizemoney barrier. A win would also give him a crack at the $25,000 Grafton Cup Quality Prelude (2200m) at Grafton next Thursday.

Husonique (Greg Ryan) scores at Armidale. Image by Bradley Photographers

“If he goes well I’ll put him in the Grafton Cup Prelude,” Lesley Jeffriess confirmed today.

“If he runs well in that then we’ll put him in the Grafton Cup. But he’s got to prove himself.”

That Husonique has taken steps to prove he is a contender for those bigger and better races can be clearly seen by how he’s raced of late.

The gelding charged home from back in the field to win over 1610m at Dubbo and then, at his last outing at Armidale, was too strong for his opposition over 1900m at Armidale.

Greg Ryan is on board again tomorrow and the gelding has drawn ideally in barrier one: “I was pleased about that when I saw it,” Lesley said of the inside draw. Can never knock barrier one.”

She said being a favourite for tomorrow’s Tamworth race over the 2100m Mornington distance was due to Greg Ryan being on board.

Husonique is also ready: “He’s good, pretty fresh for this,” Jeffriess said. “His form is good and he’s been working good.”

Lesley said the horse has been 'getting back' in his races of late but with the draw and the fact there are just nine runners, means he won’t be too far off them.

Winning tomorrow would convince her to take him to Grafton next Thursday for the Grafton Cup Prelude with a possibility of running in the rich $160,000 Grafton Cup (2350m) on Thursday 12 July.

“I’d like to win the Prelude and have a definite starter in the Cup,” she said of a race her late father, Merv Corliss, won with Akwazoff back in 1997. “That’s 20 years ago, seems like yesterday,” she said of the magical day.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Tamworth's Country Showcase meeting here